All language subtitles for Tomorrows.World.Today.S10E02.1080p.WEB.h264-CBFM_track3_[eng]

[narrator]
On "Tomorrow's World Today,"

we explore the cutting edge
advances that are

shaping four
different worlds.

The world of inspiration,
where the wonders of

the natural world amaze
and inspire us.

The world of creation,
where ideas come to life

from traditional arts.

The world of innovation,
where ideas and inventions

move us all forward.

The world of production,
where innovations are

mass produced to
improve our lives.

From Inventionland
World Headquarters,

here's your host,
George Davison.

Did you know that almost
200 years ago,

the car of the future
was already here?

And it was electric?

Welcome to
"Tomorrow's World Today."

It started in the 1830s
when Scottish inventor

Robert Anderson built the first
crude electric carriage.

Then, in the 1890s,
William Morrison innovated it

and brought it to America,
creating the world's

first six-passenger wagon.

And it hit a staggering
14 miles an hour.

At the dawn of the 1900s,

electric cars were
the king of the road.

They dominated the streets of
New York and London.

For decades, the electric car
was the gold standard,

not the car with the dangerous
hand crank to start it.

But then in 1912,
Charles Kettering,

he changed everything.

He invented the electric
self-starter

for gasoline engines.

And suddenly, the gas car
started easily.

And the electric car got
put on the shelf.

Well, it took nearly 100 years,

but then in the 1990s,
the automobile industry

showed the world that the
electric car never truly died.

It was just waiting for
the world to catch up.

Today, the electric vehicle is
at the forefront of innovation,

and we're reimagining
electricity and power.

We're moving toward a future
where your car doesn't just

take power, it can also put
power back into your home

when your lights go out.

So I'm going to send Greg to
explore the world of innovation

to discover the latest
developments shaping our world.

[Greg] As we move into an
increasingly electrified world,

some of the concerns that people
have over the electrical grid,

which distributes that power,
become more and more pressing.

Well, the folks at Toyota may
have a solution

to a piece of that puzzle.

I'm in Plano, Texas at Toyota HQ
to talk to the experts about

how a new breed of EVs
and bi-directional charging can

help to make sure that we have
the power that we need today

and in tomorrow's world.

Right now, let's check in with
Norman Lu to find out a little

bit about the history of
EVs and more.

So Norman,
this is a beautiful spot.

I'm really glad we could have
this conversation out here.

Same here.

So Norman, how long have
you been with Toyota?

-This is my 21st year.
-Wow!

So you've kind of been there
and seen the development of EVs

over that time?
-I have.

All the way from our
very first RAV4 EV.

All the way to our latest EV,
the Highlander, which I think

gets over 300 miles on
a single charge.

Well, now there are lots of
different kinds of EVs.

You have the plug-in hybrid,
you have straight battery EVs.

Tell me about the differences
and how they might work

for an individual?
-Absolutely.

At Toyota, we call that
our multi-pathway approach,

meaning we recognize every
customer is unique,

and there's not a single
solution that fits

every customer's needs.

So we electrify in a wide range
to be able to give customers

the benefits of an EV
experience, but in a powertrain

that meets their needs.

So that starts with a gasoline
hybrid which adds a battery

and a motor to really give
a lot of efficiency benefits to

a normal gas motor to a plug-in
hybrid which has the same

benefits of go-anywhere range
as a gas hybrid but when

you charge the vehicle, that
battery will allow you to drive

in a full electric mode for 30
to 50 miles all the way to

a full battery EV which is
quiet, smooth, powerful,

and you can get now
over 300 miles

to a single charge.

That's amazing, and all of
the different size options that

are available as well,
so you can really find

a vehicle that works for you.
-Absolutely.

Most of our product lines now
have an electrified version,

whether it's a hybrid plug-in
or a full battery electric.

That leads me to my next
question, which is,

everybody talks about the grid,
the stress on the grid by all

of the electrification of
the world, basically,

that's happening right now,
and EVs are a part of that.

How are EVs going to actually
help mitigate those problems

rather than add to them?

Great question because I think
we've all seen some of

the concerns about the grid
and its ability to provide

power as more things
get electrified.

One of the first ways that
an EV actually helps to support

the grid is in when we charge.

EV actually draws quite a bit
of power when you're charging,

but we can shift when the car
charges based on the demand

on the grid so that as long
as we're charging,

when the demand
on the grid is low

we're not straining
the grid anymore.

Moving that into the next step,
which is bi-direction power.

That means in addition to
charging your EV from the grid,

we can now take the energy from
an EV battery and send it back.

When there's a power outage,
an EV can power your entire

home just like a generator,
and you can further push

the power back to the grid
and fix the supply and demand

imbalances on the grid.

That makes the entire grid more
resilient and also reduces

energy costs for everyone.

Wow, so this is a way that
you can actually work with

your utility company to take
stress off of the grid

rather than add to it.
-That's right.

Norman, thank you very much.
This has been great.

I'm going to head over now
and talk to Cody about

the latest in
electric vehicles.

[Greg]
We learned from Norman

about the history
and current state of EVs.

Now let's talk to Cody Emmert,
vehicle marketing

and communications
and senior planner

about electric vehicle
misconceptions.

Hey, Cody.

-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you, too.

So, Cody, just talking to
Norman about the history of EVs

and once again,
was shocked to find out

exactly how long EVs have
been around.

They've been around for
a long time.

But there are still a lot of
misconceptions

around these vehicles.

One of the things that
Americans love most is driving

because it's fun.

How fun are these things to
actually drive?

These are incredibly fun
to drive.

They're almost what I would
call like a sleeper vehicle in

the sense that they look very
traditional, very normal,

but electric motors have
the ability to produce a lot of

torque at very low RPMs
and over a wide range of speed.

So, what that means is
you don't have the need for

a traditional transmission with
multiple gears to shift

through, and when you have that
instantaneous power delivery,

they are incredibly zippy.

Not only that,
they're incredibly smooth

and quiet, so it's a very
fun-to-drive experience.

Well, now, you work in
marketing, I guess that's one of

the misconceptions that
you have to kind of get folks

over is that these things are
actually a really good
time to drive.

What are some of the other
things that you feel folks

misunderstand about
electric vehicles?

There's a lot
of misconceptions.

And as you mentioned,
marketing,

we have to overcome
a lot of that.

People, when they think of EVs,
they think of a vehicle in

which they're making
compromises or sacrifices

because early-to-market EVs

come to mind for a lot
of people.

And those early-to-market EVs
were really limited to like

100 miles of range, and we had
a very somewhat infantile

charging infrastructure as far
as public charging goes.

And people think of that,
it's going to be hard to charge,

I'm not going to be
able to drive it very far.

But these EVs,
they've really evolved.

We have larger batteries,

we have more
efficient batteries,

we have more
capable motors.

So a modern EV essentially
equates to the same capability

as an internal combustion
engine vehicle.

It's just a matter of adopting
that charging mindset

and knowing where and when
you will typically be charging.

It's at home for most people,
and that equates to having

the capability to start every
morning with what is

essentially a full tank.

One of the other things that
I guess folks think about

when they compare an EV to
an internal combustion engine

vehicle is the price.

There used to be a fairly big
price difference between

the two, but that really has
leveled out over the years.

It's essentially completely
leveled out.

So if you were to look at an EV
in a particular segment

and look at the other models
that are in that segment that

are maybe internal combustion
only or hybrid,

and the price points are right
next to one another.

Now, one of the things that
Norman and I touched on is

the multi-pathway strategy
that Toyota has.

And that's really based around
the idea of making sure that

the right EV goes with
the right individual.

-Tell me more about that.
-Yeah, absolutely.

At Toyota, we want to give
our guests what they want,

what they're shopping for,
and what fits their lifestyle.

EVs fit a lot of people.
But you know what?

Maybe not everybody.

There's going to be a lot of
people that are going to

continue to want to drive
an internal combustion engine.

And that's going to make sense
for a lot of people as well.

So we will continue to evolve
our lineup as

our customers dictate,
essentially, and ensure that

we're offering something
for everybody.

And right here,
we have our latest offering.

This is the newest
Highlander, the 2027.

It's 100% electric, and will go
on sale a little later

this year.
-So can we get a look inside?

-Yeah, let's check it out.
-All right.

♪♪

So what are
your first thoughts?

Wow, well, Cody,
this really just feels

like a slightly
futuristic version

of a really nice luxury car.

[Cody]
That's absolutely right.

I mean, when people think about
EVs, sometimes they have

another one of
those misconceptions

like we're talking about.

There's going to be something
vastly different on the inside,

but it really isn't.

You know, it just feels like
a well-appointed vehicle.

Right, and there's really
nothing going on here

technology-wise that
you wouldn't find

in a higher-end internal
combustion vehicle.

That's right.

It should feel very familiar
for most people that have

driven any vehicle from
the last few years.

You know, you have
your technologies like a large

touchscreen, your navigation,
and in the case of

the Highlander, we have certain
things, like this is actually

a wireless charging station,
so you can just simply set

your devices down here
and they charge.

There will be some unique cues
that it's an EV,

some different styling cues,

just like we have
on the exterior of the vehicle,

but overall feel very familiar.
-It's so comfortable.

So, you know, a long trip,
a short trip, just running

around town, it really would be
fun to drive around in this

vehicle because it just really
feels great.

Absolutely.

And I mean, just going back to
the point that we made earlier,

they're quite peppy.

They're zippy,
incredibly smooth.

And when you have something
that's appointed like this,

it is like a sanctuary on
the inside because the ride is

going to be so smooth.
It's going to be so quiet.

Wow.
Well, Cody, thank
you very much.

I want to go find out
more about charging

and how that works in with
a family's lifestyle.

And I'm going to go talk to
Maddy about that.

That sounds great.
We'll see you later.

[Greg]
Now that we've dispelled some
myths around electric vehicles,

let's check in with
Grid Services Manager

Maddy Strutner.

We will learn more about
Charge Assist

and bi-directional charging.
-Hi, Maddy.

-Hi, Greg.
-Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

So, Maddy, one of the things
that I'm finding in talking

with your cohorts is that
charging seems to be a thing

that people are really
concerned about when it comes

to electric vehicles.
They really don't need to be.

We've actually gotten to
a point where they might be

able to work with their utility
company in charging

their vehicle at the most
efficient times and the most

inexpensive times for them.

But explain to me
how this system works

with the utility company

and an individual or a family
and their home?

Yeah, so the goal
of Charge Assist is to make

charging for customers simple
and cost-effective while also

helping the utilities.

So what customers can do
is they can sign up for

Charge Assist through
the Toyota app,

and then when they come home,

they're able to plug in their
vehicle and the Charge Assist

is able to charge
their vehicle based on

a schedule that's best suited
for the customer based on when

it's cheapest for them and also
when it's best for the utility

to not put excess strain on
the electricity grid.

Well, that sounds great.

It also sounds as though
you have to kind of be

on a regular schedule.

What happens if you need to
deviate from that?

Yeah, so the Charge Assist
software is able to look at

your previous driving behavior
and then build

a customizable schedule for each
individual driver.

So a customer can either follow
these schedules or if they need

to charge differently,
they can charge however

they want and override
the schedule.

And then jump right back into
the app and go into the regular

schedule again just like that?
-Yes.

Well, let's talk a little bit
about this vehicle.

Now, this is
a Japanese-spec vehicle.

Why Japanese specifications?

Yeah, so we were talking about
managed charging

and Charge Assist, and that's
all about how a vehicle charges

from the electricity grid.

We have this Japanese-spec
vehicle that we've been able to

utilize for vehicle-to-grid.

So not only are we charging
from the electricity grid,

but we're able to send
electricity from the vehicle

back to the power grid when
there's strain on the grid.

So this is
bi-directional charging?

-Yes, absolutely.
-Excellent.

-Well, can we take a spin?
-Yeah, let's do it.

OK, let's go.

♪♪

[Greg] The next 10 years
will be crucial

to the health of our
electric grid.

Lets check in with
Apoorv Bhargava,

CEO and co-founder of WeaveGrid.

And see how Toyota and WeaveGrid
aspire to be a part of that.

-Hey, Apoorv.
-Hey, Greg.

-How are you?
-I'm great.

-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you, too.

Well, I just spent some time
with Maddy and actually got to

take a spin in the Japanese
specification vehicle,

which is, I guess, ultimately
how bi-directional charging

will be introduced
into the United States.

But a lot of folks are
concerned about the health of

the grid and what a new influx
of EVs will mean for that.

So tell me a little bit more
about that?

Yeah, so the electric grid is
one of the most incredible

innovations of
the last century.

And yet, at the same time,
it's under a lot of pressure

and change right now.
More than ever before.

We've got an influx of electric
cars, 280 million vehicles

in the United States.

It's a lot of cars.

At the same time as you've also
got increasing amounts of

AI data centers and onshoring
and manufacturing

and also more and more variable
renewable energy.

So there's a real need right
now to help orchestrate all

of these changes, this imbalance
that's happening increasingly

between demand and supply.

And we're all feeling it,
because we're all starting to

see higher and higher electric
bills, because all of this

growth that's coming online is
really starting to lead to

pressure and a need to build
out more and more

of our infrastructure.

And that's where the magic of
managing charging

and bi-directional energy
comes in.

Because if you can now use your
car as a way to actually add to

the grid to provide more supply
or be able to actually balance

those imbalances that we're
seeing on a day-to-day basis,

you can not just defer the need
for building out more of

the grid, you can actually suck
up all that extra solar energy

in the middle of the day
or that extra wind energy in

the middle of the night.

Where do you see this
technology moving ahead,

say, for the next 10 years?

Yeah, I think the next
10 years are going to be

transformational for the grid.

We're seeing unprecedented
growth at the same time as

unprecedented changes in
the supply of how energy is

produced and delivered.

And so as more and more people
start driving plug-in hybrid

vehicles and battery electric
vehicles, their ability to

participate in the grid of
tomorrow and be able to both

save money on their electric
bills, but also be able to

actually help really kind of
bring down the cost for

their community and their state
is going to be unparalleled.

And that's what excites me
about grid technologies

going forward.
-That's excellent.

And I know that Toyota
and WeaveGrid are aiming to be

a big part of that.
Thank you, Apoorv.

Thank you, Greg.

[George]
I'm meeting with Norman Lu,
senior program manager at

Toyota, to talk about
the future of EVs.

Hi, Norman.
Welcome to Inventionland.

-Thanks for having me, George.
-You bet.

It's great to have you here
because I'm a fan of this

technology that keeps coming
out of Toyota.

I like to take things all
the way back to the founder

sometimes, and I've studied
who he was.

You know, his whole innovative
spirit, moving from a loom to

an automated loom
and then scaling

so the clothing could be made
more efficiently.

-That was big back then.
-Yes.

And then a jump
into automobiles,

and here we are today.

This arc of innovation just
keeps moving.

And so I'd like to know,
you know, what's really going

to happen next over here
at Toyota?

Absolutely.
Innovation is in the DNA.

It's in our company culture.

And specifically for
electrified vehicles,

ever since our first hybrid
vehicle 25 years ago,

we've continuously improved
and innovated on that

for plug-in hybrids,

and now our latest
full battery electric vehicle,

the new 2027 Highlander.
-It's good looking.

But I want to know more about
it, because these are prototype

photos, aren't they?
-They are.

So let's hear the latest.

I want to hear all the good
stuff that's coming out.

Well, it is a three-row family
SUV, and with a full charge,

you can drive over 300 miles.
-Nice.

So very practical.

It is also using batteries
that are assembled at our

new North Carolina facility.

And the entire vehicle
is assembled

in our Kentucky
Georgetown facility.

And this is also the first
Toyota EV to have

bi-direction power capability.
-Bi-direction?

OK, so let's --
this is new tech.

Let's talk a little bit
about that.

What's happening with
bi-directional?

You have this huge battery
in your EV.

Now that you can use it to
power other things,

such as tools,
tailgate parties...

-[George] Ooh, I like that idea.
-...campsites, and even power

your entire home when
there's a power outage.

[George] Yeah, we have
that challenge too.

Our power grid around here,
we have some failure

from time to time.

We have one of those big
generators outside of our home.

And here at Inventionland,
we have a couple big ones here

too, but they don't always
fire up.

And so we have some
delays there.

So you're telling me that this
vehicle could feed energy back

into my home or potentially
back into the office?

[Norman] Just like a gas
generator does today.

It will back feed and power up
an entire home, but do so

completely silently and without
emission, so you don't have to

worry about the safety aspects
of carbon monoxide.

Great, so I don't have that
problem anymore?

No.

All right, so we're at
Tomorrow's World Today.

So I've got to ask you to take
me to the future for a minute.

What are we gonna see in
the future from Toyota?

We're really excited,
and this bi-direction capability

to power your own
personal stuff is just

the first step.

In the very near future,
we will be integrating these

electric vehicles back into
the entire grid and be able to

send power back to the grid
when it needs it.

You mentioned power outages.

Our electric grid is aging
and strained due to

the ever-increasing demand
on electricity use.

EVs can store power and send
that back to the grid when

people are needing it the most.

And when you think about
thousands of EVs all

synchronized and doing that at
the same time, it will help

balance the grid, reduce power
outages overall,

and lower the cost of
energy for everyone.

Wow, that's big,
especially now with AI pulling

in so much power.

And we're solving big
problems there.

-So that's great to hear.
-Thank you very much.

Well, everybody,

that's another edition of
"Tomorrow's World Today."

And we'll see you in
the next episode.

So Norman, we have some great
tech going on in the lab.

-You want to check
some of it out?
-Can't wait.

Yeah, we're working on some of
this new engineering.

And remember, Tomorrow's World
is where inspiration

and creation drive
innovation and production.

See you next time.