Tag - carmakers

 
 

CARMAKERS

Cars ready to be loaded onto a ship for export at the port in Yantai, in China's eastern Shandong province, on Jan. 2
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 31, 2024
China seized Japan's crown for vehicle exports in 2023, data shows
The Chinese auto sector has boomed in recent years largely because of massive investments in electric cars, while Japanese firms have been more cautious.
Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda speaks during a news conference in Nagoya on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2024
World No. 1 but mired in scandal: Toyota sees mixed start to 2024
Despite the steady performance of its business, the carmaker has been shaken by wrongdoing at group firms, leading to an apology from the chairman.
Workers assemble vehicles at Toyota's Tsutsumi plant in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2024
Toyota union eyes extra month's bonus in annual negotiations
Wage increases by Toyota and other carmakers will be seen as a bellwether for the rest of Japan's manufacturing sector and economy.
Toyota's Land Cruiser 300 SUV is among models subject to a halt in shipments after irregularities were found during certification tests for diesel engines.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2024
Toyota halts shipment of some vehicles over certification issues
A special investigative committee found irregularities during horsepower output testing for the certification of three diesel engine models.
Toyota's main Tokyo office on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 26, 2024
Toyota union to demand record 2024 bonuses: report
With Toyota saying it expects to post record consolidated operating profits this financial year, the union is also likely to demand high pay hikes.
The engine of a Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is displayed during its unveiling in Tokyo in March 2016.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 26, 2024
Honda and GM fuel cell venture launches commercial production
Fuel cell technology offers the promise of replicating the hauling power and fast refueling of heavy diesel engines in ways batteries cannot match.
Carmaker Daihatsu recalled more than 320,000 vehicles and extended a factory shutdown on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 24, 2024
Daihatsu recalls 320,000 cars and extends factory halt
The Toyota-owned firm notified the transport ministry that it would recall a total of 322,700 vehicles of two models due to a door defect.
The market cap of Japan’s largest automaker reached ¥48.79 trillion ($330 billion) at the end of Tokyo stock trading on Tuesday, with Toyota shares having closed ¥9 higher at ¥2,991 after briefly reaching an all-time high of ¥3,034.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 24, 2024
Toyota’s market cap hits record high for a Japanese firm
Market participants are keeping a close eye on Japan’s top automaker amid expectations that it will post strong earnings.
Honda’s sales in the United States soared 33% last year and the firm anticipates continued growth but at a more modest pace.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2024
Honda sees 2024 U.S. sales climbing 10% with boost from hybrids
Honda’s sales in the U.S. soared 33% last year to 1.3 million vehicles — with one-quarter of that total coming from hybrid models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 17, 2024
Daihatsu may lose production rights for three models in safety scandal
An inspection by the transport ministry found that air bags had been set to inflate automatically in tests rather than when a crash was detected.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 17, 2024
Musk's warning about Tesla stake raises governance questions
CEOs and directors are prohibited from taking any business opportunity for themselves that belongs to the firm.
Volkswagen is casting its net wider in pursuit of a potentially game-changing technology: a "solid-state" electric car battery
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 16, 2024
Volkswagen and rivals plug away at solid-state battery puzzle
An array of technical hurdles are holding back wider development of solid-state technology, seen by its backers as the "holy grail" of EV batteries.
Shinji Aoyama, Honda's chief director of North America, unveils its electric vehicle concept Space-Hub during the CES trade show in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 10, 2024
Honda to launch new electric vehicle series as it plays catch-up
The automaker aims to roll out the first models of its new Honda 0 Series by 2026, with the series to be launched globally, starting with the North American market.
Daihatsu Motor President Soichiro Okudaira speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Dec. 20. 
EDITORIALS
Dec 29, 2023
Daihatsu scandal is a warning for Japan Inc.
Investigations indicate that improprieties at Daihatsu stretch as far back as 1989, indicating a profound problem with the company’s culture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 28, 2023
Daihatsu to compensate lower-tier suppliers for halted production
Production was stopped at all of the company's factories in Japan this week.
Japan's industrial production fell 0.9% in November from the previous month, weighed down by a decline in auto production.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 28, 2023
Japan's November factory output falls on weaker autos
Industrial production fell 0.9% in November from the previous month, data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) showed on Thursday.
BYD exhibits its cars ahead of the Munich Motor Show in September.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2023
China's BYD set to overtake Tesla as world’s most popular EV maker
Its ascent will be both a symbolic turning point for the market and further confirmation of the growing Chinese clout in the global automotive sector.
Toyota's global production jumped 11% in November to a record level, bouncing back from last year's supply chain disruptions and benefiting from robust demand both in Japan and overseas.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2023
Toyota saw record November sales on demand from U.S. and Europe
Global sales — including that of subsidiaries Hino and Daihatsu — rose 12% from a year earlier to 986,262 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 25, 2023
Daihatsu halts three assembly plants over testing fraud scandal
It is unclear when the company will resume production, which is expected to be suspended until at least the end of next month.
Toyota dealer Hiroshima Toyopet has installed air conditioners at all 30 of its maintenance facilities in Hiroshima Prefecture to ensure mechanics can work comfortably during the summer.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Dec 25, 2023
Hiroshima car dealers seek ways to attract mechanics
Since many people use their cars as a daily means of transportation, it is essential to secure a stable pool of mechanics.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan