Tag - carmakers

 
 

CARMAKERS

The Jeep Avenger fully electric compact utility car debuted in Japan on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 26, 2024
Jeep’s compact EV debuts in Japan as imported EVs take the lead
In Japan, gasoline and hybrid gas-electric cars remain the dominant powertrains of choice for local consumers.
Toyota added ¥200 billion to a ¥1 trillion stock repurchase plan announced in May, according to an exchange filing Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 24, 2024
Toyota raises buyback to ¥1.2 trillion, citing share levels
The carmaker’s operating profit for the three months ended June 30 was ¥1.31 trillion, 17% higher than a year earlier.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500s and GMC Sierra 1500s make their way through an assembly line at the General Motors assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on April 9.
BUSINESS
Sep 24, 2024
Biden administration proposes ban of Chinese and Russian car parts
The proposed ban is aimed at the sale and import of Chinese- and Russian-made hardware and software for connected vehicles.
Many of today’s cars — both gas and electric — are equipped with devices connecting them to the internet or cloud services, making them potential targets for hacking.
BUSINESS
Sep 22, 2024
Biden administration to prepare ban on Chinese car software
The U.S. Commerce Department has been meeting with industry experts as it looks to address security concerns raised by a new generation of so-called smart cars.
Toyota Gazoo Racing fans cheer on the team at the start of the 6 Hours of Fuji race on Sunday at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 20, 2024
For Toyota and its rivals, WEC becomes important arena amid major industry shift
Carmakers' involvement in endurance racing has taken on a new level of importance as the auto industry faces a once-a-generation sea change.
Japan's export growth slowed sharply in August as shipments to the United States dropped for the first time in three years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 18, 2024
Japan’s export growth slows as external demand moderates
Imports climbed 2.3%, falling short of the 15% gain forecast by economists, with trade deficit widening to ¥695.3 billion.
The BMW logo. It took the German automaker more than two years to discover the extent of a braking system fault that is expected to cost the carmaker nearly €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to fix.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 16, 2024
BMW took two years to find extent of defect behind recall
The braking system fault is expected to cost the carmaker nearly €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to fix.
Panasonic’s 4680 cylindrical lithium-ion cell
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 9, 2024
Panasonic ready to start making next-gen EV cells at Japan plant
The site will become the main facility for production of Panasonic’s 4680 cylindrical lithium-ion cell with output beginning as soon as a final evaluation is completed.
A mock-up of Toyota's next-generation Li-ion batteries for battery electric vehicles
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2024
Japan to provide new subsidies for domestic EV battery output
Handing out more subsidies will help expand the country's production capacity for storage batteries by around 50%.
Demand for electric vehicles in Japan has long been sluggish, and the government this year changed how EV subsidies are calculated, reducing them for BYD and several of its rivals, raising concerns about protectionism.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 5, 2024
BYD's global expansion push runs into a stiff test in Japan
Demand for electric vehicles in Japan has long been sluggish, and the government this year changed how EV subsidies are calculated.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume speaks at a Volkswagen media event in Beijing on April 24.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2024
From peace-maker to taboo-breaker, VW boss Blume takes on the unions
Volkswagen disclosed it was not only planning to scrap a 30-year old job security plan, but weighing the closure of plants in Germany.
The logo of German carmaker Volkswagen at the main plant of the group in Wolfsburg, northern Germany, in March 2022. German automotive giant Volkswagen said Monday that it could close production sites in Germany as the auto industry struggles to manage rising costs.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024
Volkswagen weighs first-ever German plant closures amid EV transition woes
Profit margins at the carmaker's underperforming passenger car brand are getting squeezed amid the shift to EVs and a consumer spending slowdown.
Toyota Motor's global sales — including subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors — rose 0.7% to 924,918 units in July.
BUSINESS
Aug 29, 2024
Toyota sales overcome U.S. woes for first growth in six months
Toyota Motor’s sales eked out growth for the first time in six months on strong demand in Europe and Japan.
He Xiaopeng, co-founder and chief executive officer of XPeng, speaks at a launch event for the company's Mona M03 electric vehicle in Beijing on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 28, 2024
China’s Xpeng aims to expand with mass-market cars and Europe production
The company also plans to set up a large-scale data center in Europe as efficient software collection becomes paramount for cars’ intelligent driving features.
People look at a Ford Sports Utility Vehicle on display at a test drive point in Nha Be district in Ho Chi Minh City.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2024
Mitsui buys stake in Tasco Auto in bet on Vietnam’s growth
The deal makes Mitsui a strategic investor and will help Tasco’s long-term plans.
U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 30, 2020
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 13, 2024
Musk scorns subsidies, but Tesla still lobbies for U.S. benefits
Despite Musk's gradual embrace of Trump, the company continues to lobby the U.S. and state governments for benefits championed by the Democratic Party.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe hold a joint news conference in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2024
Separate software efforts by Japan's carmakers may jeopardize success
The government has set a goal of having Japanese companies account for 30% of the software-defined vehicle market worldwide by 2030.
Formula E cars race during the Portland E-Prix in Oregon in June.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 1, 2024
From race to road: Is Formula E fueling the future of green transport?
Formula E has helped hasten the development of technology for electric vehicles, making them easier to sell to consumers, but hurdles for EVs remain.
China always seems to be one step ahead of America in economic strategies, advancing in electric vehicle and battery production while the U.S. struggles to keep up with evolving trade and supply chain challenges.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 2, 2024
West plays 'whack-a-mole' as China dominates EV and battery sectors
A more proactive, multilateral approach by the U.S. to supply chain and trade policy is necessary to counter China’s economic influence.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe shake hands prior to a joint news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 2, 2024
Honda-Nissan alliance completes Japan car industry consolidation
The carmakers' cozying up to one another follows Toyota acquiring stakes in Subaru, Suzuki and Mazda.

Longform

A woman passes an "akichi" (vacant lot) in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The capital is littered with such small lots in part because of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
Dealing with rising land vacancies as Japan shrinks