Tag - cars

 
 

CARS

Tesla has combined a series of innovations to make a technological breakthrough that could transform the way it makes electric vehicles and help Elon Musk achieve his aim of halving production costs.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 15, 2023
Tesla reinvents carmaking with quiet breakthrough
The company pioneered the use of huge presses to mold the front and rear structures of its Model Y in a "gigacasting" process.
Rachel Culin, a disenchanted Toyota owner, standing between her Toyota Prius and new Chevy Bolt at her home in Mesa, Arizona. The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell all-electric vehicles, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023
Toyota, a hybrid pioneer, struggles to master electric vehicles
The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell EVs, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
Employees work on the assembly line at an electric vehicle plant in Shanghai. Cutting salaries is illegal in China, but complex pay structures offer loopholes.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 5, 2023
China's auto workers bear brunt of price war as fallout widens
Cutting salaries is illegal in China, but complex pay structures offer ways around this.
The price for regular gasoline is ¥192 per liter at a gas station in the city of Nagano on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 1, 2023
Extended gasoline subsidy risks harming Japan's net-zero efforts
The politically tricky decision on ending the program could hamper the shift to EVs and efforts to reach climate change goals.
A gasoline station in Tokyo on Wednesday advertises its regular gasoline price as ¥186 per liter.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 30, 2023
Kishida announces extension of measures to bring gas prices down
The subsidy program will be extended until the end of the year and will be beefed up starting next week.
Toyota Motor has suspended operations at a dozen factories in Japan due to a system failure.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 29, 2023
Toyota set to resume operations after glitch halts production
Tuesday's halt raised concerns that the stoppage could be due to a cyberattack, though the company said that was unlikely.
A Mazda MX-30 at a dealership in the city of Hiroshima. The MX-30 is the only electric vehicle model Mazda currently sells in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Aug 28, 2023
Mazda accelerates EV shift in China, reshaping ties with suppliers
Mazda’s sales in China in the year from April 2022 halved from the previous year to 84,000 units due to a thin lineup of EVs.
Aichi Prefectural Police investigators raid a car dealership in Komaki in August last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 28, 2023
Car thefts on the rise in Japan as vehicle prices remain high
Cases of car theft increased last year for the first time in almost a decade, with Aichi the most affected prefecture, and are still rising rapidly.
A Cruise autonomous taxi in San Francisco on Aug. 10. Cruise is one of only two firms in California allowed to run paid robotaxi services around the clock.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 25, 2023
Robotaxis are making enemies as they go around San Francisco
Mishaps are adding to traffic and safety concerns over driverless vehicles, which zip around the city’s streets surrounded by sensors and cameras.
The Vinfast booth at the 2022 New York International Auto Show in New York on April 14, 2022
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2023
Vietnamese EV-maker Vinfast surges in U.S. trading debut
The company’s shares gained 255% on Tuesday in New York, giving it a market value above U.S. auto giants such as Ford Motor and General Motors.
Simon Humphries, head of design at Toyota, speaks during the world premier of the new Land Cruiser in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2023
Toyota’s iconic Land Cruiser returns to North America
The world’s biggest carmaker has unveiled three variations of one of its most enduring models, starting at around $50,000.
Transport ministry officials leave a Bigmotor dealership in Nagoya on Friday after conducting on-site inspections.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 31, 2023
Bigmotor suspected of fabricating insurance contracts
The news came on top of an investigation report that showed employees padded maintenance fee claims to insurance firms by deliberately damaging cars.
Transport ministry officials enter a Bigmotor dealership in Sapporo on Friday for an on-site inspection.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2023
Transport ministry conducts on-site probe of Bigmotor amid scandal
The surprise inspection, which covered dealerships in 24 prefectures, came after the ministry interviewed Bigmotor executives including newly appointed President Shinji Izumi on Wednesday.
Honda Motor and other major carmakers will establish a joint venture to build an electric vehicle charging network in North America.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023
Honda joins new EV charging network in U.S.
The firm, along with six other automakers, aims to counter U.S. EV giant Tesla, which holds 60% of the country's EV market.
Bigmotor President Hiroyuki Kaneshige (center) apologizes for improper conduct by the company's employees at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2023
Bigmotor chief to resign in wake of repair fraud scandal
Employees were found to have intentionally damaged the vehicles of some customers in order to charge excessive repair fees and make fraudulent insurance claims.
The engine of a Toyota Motor's Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2023
Taxi firm’s hydrogen cell experience highlights fuel’s pitfalls
It’s not that there’s anything wrong specifically with the cars, good looking midsized sedans with Lexus-level luxury. Rather, it’s the high cost of hydrogen.
A safety course for electric scooters offered in Tokyo in June
JAPAN / Explainer
Jul 21, 2023
Bike, scooter, taxi? Here are your options for nonrail transit in Japan
Here's a rundown on your options and how best to utilize them — whether your a tourist or long-time resident.
Nissan will adopt Tesla's electric-vehicle charging technology in the U.S. and Canada, becoming the first Japanese carmaker to take up the technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 20, 2023
Nissan to adopt Tesla EV-charging design from 2025 in U.S. and Canada
Starting in 2025, the firm will equip its electric vehicles with the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) port.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 19, 2023
Bigmotor releases report on insurance fraud
According to the report, 61 workers, or nearly 60% of 104 surveyed employees, said they had been ordered by their supervisors to pad car repair charges to receive bigger insurance payouts.

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