Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. said Thursday they will integrate their housing businesses in an expansion of an existing tie-up, as they seek to collaborate on "town development" for next-generation lifestyles where homes and vehicles are connected to the internet. The companies plan to set up a joint venture on Jan. 7, 2020. Toyota will focus on new mobility services using self-driving technology, while Panasonic brings strengths in developing smart homes equipped with appliances supported by internet and other digital technologies. The venture, Prime Life Technologies Corp., will bring housing units of both companies under its wing, including Toyota Housing Corp., Misawa Homes Co. and Panasonic Homes Co. The move by the leading carmaker and electronics manufacturer comes amid shrinking demand in the domestic housing market due to Japan's declining population.

Japanese car maker Toyota unveils a new humanoid robot that mirrors the movements of its remote operator, as Stuart McDill reports. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda spoke at the company's earnings press conference in Tokyo on May 10. (Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation) Toyota reached a deal to explore a new battery partnership with Panasonic in a move that threatens to encroach on Tesla's territory, heightening the ongoing rivalry between the two automakers. Toyota and Panasonic said Wednesday that they are launching a "feasibility study" to investigate the technological potential of batteries that use prismatic cells, which are grouped together in pouches to power electric cars. The deal places Panasonic in the unusual position of straddling the technological and strategic divide between Toyota and Tesla. Panasonic already has a major partnership with Tesla to jointly manufacture a competing battery technology that relies on different batteries relying on cylindrical cells.