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River Davis
For River Davis's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2021
Nissan unveils ¥2 trillion long-term electric vehicle strategy
Nissan, on track to return to annual profit for the first time in three years, is seeking to use know-how it amassed as an early entrant into the EV market as a foundation for growth.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 19, 2021
Toyota eyes Panasonic as partner in North Carolina battery plant
The plant would be the latest in a string of announcements by major automakers preparing to pivot toward full electrification.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 14, 2021
In defense of combustion engines, Toyota CEO says ‘the enemy is carbon’
Toyota says that different emissions-reducing car technologies are needed for different regions of the world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2021
Nissan lifts annual profit outlook despite supply disruptions
The upbeat forecast comes despite Nissan having to trim production in recent months in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia that disrupted access to chips.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 4, 2021
Toyota boosts profit outlook despite supply disruptions
The automaker's shares jumped as much as 2.5% after it said it will buy back u00a5150 billion ($1.3 billion) worth of its own shares.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2021
Toyota rolling out new electric SUV for world’s top car markets
The bZ4X, which resembles Toyota's popular Rav-4, is set for release in North America, Japan, China and Europe in mid-2022.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 9, 2021
Nissan unveils high-tech green factory for next-generation electric vehicles
As part of its 'Intelligent Factory Initiative,” Nissan has spent about u00a533 billion over the past two years installing advanced equipment at its plant in Tochigi Prefecture.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 7, 2021
The Prius-hacking Silicon Valley star shaping Toyota’s future
The jeans-loving, patent-wielding executive co-founded Google's robotics division and helped develop the tech company's self-driving car project.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 29, 2021
Nissan will reach 2% profit margin goal despite COVID-19 parts pain, CEO says
Achieving the target set out last year in Nissan's turnaround plan would be a positive sign the carmaker is holding up despite the shortages plaguing the industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 14, 2021
Unhappy with profitability, Nidec founder pushes on targets
Nagamori recently told his senior managers that they need to do more to boost Nidec's business performance
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2021
Toyota shares dip after unveiling more production cuts
The announcement surprised the market as Toyota had been largely unaffected by parts shortages that have rattled competitors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 10, 2021
Toyota cuts production forecast by 300,000 cars on COVID-19 and chips shortage
The world's No. 1 automaker is adjusting production in September and reviewing plans for October, while sticking to its forecast for operating profit of u00a52.5 trillion for the fiscal year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2021
Toyota to spend ¥1.5 trillion by 2030 on vehicle battery supply and development
'Zero-emission vehicles are important in regions where renewable energy is widely adopted,” the firm's Chief Technology Officer Masahiko Maeda said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 2, 2021
How one COVID-19 case upended Toyota’s just-in-time supply chain
The problems have sparked questions about whether the auto industry's strategy of prioritizing efficiency and maintaining minimal inventory will endure in the post-pandemic world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2021
Top Toyota supplier Denso expects production at the automaker to recover quickly
Denso, Toyota's top supplier, says production at the automaker should recover swiftly, leaving Denso on track to beat its own profit forecast for the current fiscal year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 20, 2021
Toyota cuts show how COVID-19 is ravaging even the best supply planners
Toyota's efforts to stockpile enough chips to ride out supply disruptions only protected the firm for so long before it too succumbed to the shortages eviscerating automakers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 11, 2021
Panasonic pioneering hydrogen power to fuel factories worldwide
The Japanese firm intends to commercialize system used at its own fuel-cell plant, which will combine hydrogen energy with solar, by fiscal 2023.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 19, 2021
Prison time for Americans who helped Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan
The father-son duo pleaded guilty but didn't receive the maximum sentence.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2021
Toyota-Panasonic battery venture slashes costs to take on China
Prime Planet currently holds the top share — around 25% — of the market for hybrid batteries, but lags far behind in higher capacity EV batteries.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 15, 2021
Toyota’s tech arm plans major hiring push in self-driving race
With profits withstanding the pandemic, the automaker can continue making strategic investments.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces