Africa leg of 5 Continents Drive kicks off

By Colin Windell

 

Towards the end of August the fifth leg of the 5 Continents Drive project undertaken by Toyota will kick off in Africa – this time the team joined by Suzuki, Hino and Toyota Auto Body.

Following Australia in 2014, the Americas in 2015 and 2016 and Europe in 2017, this year project members will head to Africa, which boasts the second largest surface area and population of any continent in the world.

By experiencing the unique culture, climate and harsh conditions in which vehicles are used, the project seeks to enable participants to better understand customer needs, and to consider what sort of cars will be most suited to the Africa of tomorrow.

Akio Toyoda, Toyota Motor Corporation President, says: "Our 5 Continents Drive Project was born from the idea that, 'in order to make ever-better cars, we need to better understand the world's roads.'

“Since the project commenced in 2014, 480 employees have driven for 350 days over 89 000 kilometers across three continents: Australia, the Americas (both North and South America), and Europe.

“Team members of the 5 Continents Drive Project left their usual work behind and, taking hold of the steering wheels themselves, 'conversed' with a variety of different roads around the world. At times, these included roads in severe natural environments.

“The members then returned to their workplaces with a vast amount of newly acquired real world knowledge, continuing to pursue the question: ‘How can we make ever-better cars that will put a smile on the faces of our customers?’ This project has increased the number of such colleagues, and I have great hopes for them.

“This year, we embark on the challenge presented by African roads. I have previously felt when driving across Africa, cars are not merely a means of transport; instead, they are indispensable to both enable people to go about their daily routines and also protect their lives. What type of ‘cherished vehicle’ do people genuinely desire? What sort of happiness do cars give them?”

The 5 Continents Drive is being carried out under the umbrella of Toyota Gazoo Racing. Toyota employees from Japan and local affiliates take the wheels of the cars themselves and drive the roads used daily by our customers, with the aim of developing human resources that can flourish in the making of ‘ever-better cars’.

 

The project sees the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 as a milestone, and will endeavor to continue its activities until this major event takes place.