Japanese carmaker Toyota is pioneering new technology that would allow a vehicle to be towed behind another vehicle without the need for a towbar, rope, or hitch. 

Towing anything can be difficult and potentially dangerous, but Toyota hopes to revolutionise the process with an internally generated innovation. The company is developing a hitchless towing system where there is no physical link between the two vehicles, but autonomous driving technology allows the vehicles, or vehicles and trailers to follow with just a digital link. 

Paul Fanson, senior manager of Toyota Motor North America Research & Design’s Advanced Product Planning Office, commented, said, “It basically allows two vehicles to play follow the leader. The lead vehicle would be driven by a human.”

Toyota hope to start road trails soon, although the technology is likely to take many years to reach production.