According to Cointelegraph, Japanese automotive leader Toyota is preparing to inaugurate Woven City, a pioneering settlement and experimental hub located at the base of Mount Fuji. The company plans to relocate the initial group of 100 residents, mainly comprising Toyota employees and their families, to this innovative town by the fall of 2025. The population is expected to gradually increase to approximately 2,000 during the early stages of the project, as announced by Toyota on January 6.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, speaking at the CES tech show in Las Vegas, emphasized the company's commitment to bringing Woven City to life this year. "We aim to accelerate the pace at which new technologies can be tested and developed at Woven City," Toyoda stated. The concept of this "living laboratory" was introduced five years ago, with the vision of creating a fully sustainable city that serves as a real-world platform for artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, self-driving vehicles, and smart home technologies.
Despite the ambitious plans, Toyoda noted that Woven City will not be accessible to the general public for at least two years and may not generate profit. "Will this Woven City make Toyota any money? Well, maybe not. As global citizens, I believe Toyota has a responsibility to invest in our collective future," he remarked. However, Woven's CEO Hajime Kumabe expressed a desire for the project to eventually become profitable, although he acknowledged the challenge in measuring its success as its innovations integrate into Toyota's automotive production.
Woven's Chief Financial Officer Kenta Kon refrained from disclosing the exact financial investment in the futuristic city, only describing it as a "big investment." The first phase of construction was completed in October 2024. A significant aspect of Toyota's broader Woven initiatives includes the development of a new software platform and vehicle operating system named Arene. This software aims to expedite car development and reduce costs, with plans for deployment this year and integration into Toyota's next-generation electric vehicles starting in 2026.