The Bibendum Forum & Rally kicked off in Kyoto. Sponsored by Michelin in association with its partners in the automotive world—carmakers, technology and energy suppliers—the event promotes and demonstrates the development of clean technologies and energies for motorized vehicles with an educational forum and road rally.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado emphasized in her opening speech at the forum “the vital necessity of cooperating between governments, industry, research institutes and NGOs to achieve sustainable mobility” as well as “the importance of educating the young generation as future energy consumers.”

Participants in three roundtable sessions debated the ways and means to implement the latest clean innovations. For the panelists it was no longer a question of how we do it but how quickly it can be done.

Fifty-one vehicles from automakers such as Toyota and DaimlerChrysler took to the highway including cars that run on fuel cells or on liquefied natural gas.

The full-day rally covers 170 kilometers (100 miles) from Kyoto to central Aichi prefecture, the site of the six-month World Exposition which has the theme of clean technology.

(A hat-tip to Jack Rosebro!)