Toyota president Akio Toyoda has been driving the conversion of the car manufacturer into a software-driven mobility company since he took office in 2009. This Thursday, an important technological step for the realization of his project followed. The world’s largest car manufacturer presented its first two vehicles, the built-in technology of which should open higher levels of autonomous driving: the new generations of the fuel cell car Mirai and the Lexus hybrid vehicle LS500h.

But Toyota is taking a different approach.

While many manufacturers want to offer hands-free driving on level 3 of the five-level scale for fully automatic robotic cars this year, Toyota drivers still have to lend a hand in some situations on the motorway. This corresponds to the second stage, in which the driver has to keep an eye on the traffic at all times.

“Toyota’s principle is automation with a human touch,” said Head of Technology Masahiko Maeda…
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