Tag - vehicles

 
 

VEHICLES

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.
EV cars are pictured inside BYD's first electric vehicle (EV) factory in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing regional EV market where it has become the dominant player, in Rayong, Thailand, on July 4.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 25, 2024
Biden's car-tech ban is a powerful new weapon against Chinese EVs
The ban on Chinese hardware and software, announced by the U.S. Commerce Department, is the Biden administration's latest salvo.
The powertrain of a Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4Matic SUV. A Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle burst into flames in the South Korean city of Incheon in July, fueling public fear over the safety of battery-powered cars in recent months.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 23, 2024
A Mercedes-Benz fire could cloud South Korea’s EV shift, or give it a boost
Seoul's push for battery-supplier transparency and parking lot safety could pave the way for a more resilient environment for EVs in the future.
The core issue holding back the quicker adoption of electric vehicles is the high cost and complexity of installing DC fast chargers, essential for quick EV refueling.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2024
EV charging faces deeper problems than we realize
The core issue holding back the quicker adoption of electric vehicles is the high cost and complexity of installing DC fast chargers, essential for quick EV refueling.
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.
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.
A boy pushes a biped robot developed by LimX Dynamics at the World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 23, 2024
China's robot makers chase Tesla to deliver humanoid workers
The Asian giant's push into the emerging industry draws from the formula behind its initial electric vehicle drive more than a decade ago.
Samples of rare earth minerals cerium oxide (left), bastnasite (center left), neodymium oxide (center right) and lanthanum carbonate
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 20, 2024
Not-so-rare earths: Ample supply weighs on prices of key minerals group
Exports of rare earths from China, the dominant producer, climbed 7.5% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2024, but prices still fell during that period.
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.
Power lines on the highway between Shanghai and Suzhou, China, on Oct. 23, 2023
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 12, 2024
China rapidly expands battery fleet but needs to start using it
China’s new energy storage capacity jumped to 44 gigawatts at the end of June, a 40% increase from the start of the year.
A charging cable is connected to a Hyundai electric vehicle at the 2022 Busan International Motor Show in Busan, South Korea, on July 14, 2022.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 8, 2024
Seoul EV explosion sparks safety fears, prompting charging rethink
Over 700 people were evacuated and 23 hospitalized after an unplugged electric Mercedes-Benz sedan caught fire in a Seoul underground parking lot.
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.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe hold a joint news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2024
Honda and Nissan to tighten ties on software, batteries and EV knowhow
Honda and Nissan sales fell about 40% and 27%, respectively, in June alone in China following the shutdown of some of their local plants.
Toyota's hybrids are selling well in North America, making up for sluggish demand for its vehicles in Japan and China.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2024
Toyota quarterly profit rises 17% on year as weak yen drives U.S. demand
Despite ongoing turmoil from a government probe that found issues with vehicle certifications, analysts still project the carmaker will post a record profit this year.
Toyota's global sales declined 4.7% in the first half of this year compared to the same period the year before.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 30, 2024
Toyota first-half sales fell even as hybrids and EVs gained in U.S.
Toyota’s global output — including that of subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors — dropped 9.8% versus the first six months of 2023 to about 5 million units.

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