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As one of the world's busiest intersections, Oxford Circus at rush hour is a nightmare, but thanks to some inspiration from the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo a solution has been designed. With more than 200 million visitors a year and quarter of a million people using the tube station, a new pedestrian crossing will see the crossings positioned diagonally across the centre of the intersection.
The £5 million project will give pedestrians more room to move by extending pavement widths and removing street clutter to stop gridlock, especially at rush hour. This got me thinking that in the coming years it's not just pedestrians that will be impacted by innovation coming from the East; what's happening in Asia will have a major influence on drivers.
Japan is currently the world's largest vehicle manufacturer with a reputation built on its affordable and reliable cars. Toyota and Honda are leaders when it comes to hybrids with their Prius and now the Insight growing in popularity. Never shy to innovate, Toyota is now moving things on as it unveils news of a fuel cell hybrid which can boast an estimated range of 431 miles on a single full tank of compressed hydrogen gas and average fuel economy of 68.3miles/kg.
It's not just green technology that this market is developing, their advances touch every aspect of motoring. For example, Nissan has developed a new system, following research with Tokyo University of Science, which stops bad smells from entering the cabin. When the system detects an unpleasant aroma outside the vehicle it automatically closes the intake vents to stop the air coming in.
South Korea and China are also becoming forces to be reconed with when it comes to the automotive sector. Chinese companies have rencently been linked with the buyouts of several major motor manufacturers including Vauxhall and Volvo. Heavily focused on the development of clean and fuel efficient vehicles, Chinese companies are establishing a foothold in the manufacture of batteries for electric cars as well as production of the vehicles.
We also can't forget India, led by Tata Motors, the company that not only bought Jaguar Land Rover but is the manufacturer of the world's most affordable car. With our households full of electrical goods from Asia, there looks little doubt that our driveways will follow suit. The focus on sustainable and affordable vehicles make it likely that the small car market will lead the global auto industry for years to come and that innovation will continue to come thick and fast from the East.
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