Tag - carmakers

 
 

CARMAKERS

A Tesla Model 3 vehicle drives using FSD (Full Self-Driving) in Encinitas, California, in October.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Apr 6, 2024
Tesla's bet on robotaxis is a long way from paying off
A greater emphasis on robotaxis comes with more risk for Tesla due to the complexity of the technology involved, analysts said.
Drivers in California’s Marin County rely on a single hydrogen fueling station.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Apr 6, 2024
Few stations and $200 to fill up: Life on California’s ‘hydrogen highway’
Fuel shortages and soaring prices have stalled the adoption of hydrogen cars — but proponents aren’t throwing in the towel.
Tesla Model 3 vehicles are seen for sale at a Tesla facility in Fremont, California, last May.
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2024
Tesla scraps low-cost car plans amid fierce Chinese EV competition
The automaker will continue developing self-driving robotaxis on the same small-vehicle platform, the sources said.
U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Works facility is seen in Braddock, Pennsylvania. A group of automakers have warned that a deal by steelmaker Cleveland Cliffs for U.S. Steel could "drive up the cost of both steel and e-steel, and ultimately increase the cost of finished vehicles (including EVs) for American consumers."
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2024
Automakers urge White House to oppose U.S. Steel sale to Cleveland-Cliffs
Cleveland-Cliffs has said it would consider another bid for U.S. Steel if the deal with Nippon Steel — opposed by President Joe Biden — falls apart.
Toyota's domestic sales declined for the second straight month in February, as the firm has been impacted by a slew of data-rigging scandals among its group companies.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 29, 2024
Toyota domestic sales drop for second month on data scandals
The Japanese automaker is unlikely to attain its production goal of 10.1 million units and sales of 10.4 million units due to a recent string of scandals.
A Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle on display at one of the company's stores in Shanghai on Tuesday. Xiaomi declared its ambition for the SU7 to become one of China's three best-selling luxury electric vehicle models, sounding a challenge to Tesla and other rivals in an increasingly crowded market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2024
Xiaomi stakes growth on debut in China’s cut-throat EV market
Reception for the SU7 vehicle will likely dictate Xiaomi’s stock momentum after a 22% gain since a February low.
Tesla Model 3 assembly line at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California, in 2018. Before the Shanghai plant opened, Fremont was Tesla’s principal factory.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2024
A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also binds him to Beijing.
Musk is now treading a fine line, sounding the alarm about Chinese rivals, even as he remains reliant on the Chinese market.
Nissan is leveraging its e-Power hybrid technology in Tunisia as Africa is not ready in terms of infrastructure availability of electricity.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2024
Nissan to test African demand for its e-Power hybrid vehicle
Africa is the world's last remaining automotive frontier due to the low level of vehicle ownership.
Nissan Motor will launch 30 new models over the next three years, including 16 electrified models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024
Nissan to launch 30 new models by 2027 and boost global sales volumes
Nissan was a pioneer in EVs but the carmaker has been eclipsed by the likes of U.S. rival Tesla and Chinese leader BYD.
Visitors view a BYD Dolphin EV car at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024
Chinese EV makers to take center stage at Bangkok motor show
The popularity of Chinese EVs in Thailand underscores the growing challenge Japanese auto giants face in a vehicle market they have long dominated.
Japanese automakers explore a unified approach and industry consolidation to stay competitive in the global EV market.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 19, 2024
As China’s EVs approach, Japan’s carmakers must step on the gas
China sees an opportunity to dominate, and just as it did with sectors from steel to solar panels, it’s unlikely to always play fair.
Makoto Uchida (left), president and CEO of Nissan, and Honda President Toshihiro Mibe give a joint news conference in Tokyo on Friday to announce a new strategic partnership in electric vehicles.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2024
Nissan and Honda to explore electric vehicle partnership
Analysts said the move was aimed at catching up with Chinese rivals who have stolen a march in EVs while Japanese firms have lost ground.
Nissan is weighing jointly procuring some parts and sharing major components for EVs to lower costs, sources have said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 14, 2024
Nissan considers EV cooperation with Honda
The two automakers have been ramping up efforts to strengthen their respective EV businesses in recent years.
Earl Stewart, a Toyota dealer, says he was shocked when he first heard about Toyota’s strategy.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2024
Toyota’s hybrid-first strategy is delivering big profits
Toyota’s sales are booming, and the company is reporting huge profits.
Zensho Holdings, the operator of Sukiya and other restaurant chains, will raise salaries of regular employees by 12.2% on average.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 12, 2024
Japan firms across sectors offer pay hikes of up to 12% in spring talks
Early wage deals with unions reflect a recovery in earnings from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a sense of crisis over labor shortages.
A DJI drone emerges from the casing on top of a BYD Yangwang U8 vehicle.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2024
China EV makers woo buyers with in-car beds, kitchens and drones
Top EV makers are facing a slowdown in demand at home as consumers curb spending.
Nissan expects kei EV sales to expand, as kei cars are relatively inexpensive compared to regular cars and their size makes them suitable for short-distance trips.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 8, 2024
Nissan may bring ultra-compact EV production in-house from 2028, sources say
The automaker is considering moving production to its factory in Kyushu in the business year starting April 2028.
Vehicles on display at a Toyota car dealership in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2024
Toyota ups its bet on hybrids in Brazil with $2.2 billion plan
The firm will expand production capacity in Latin America’s largest economy for models that use hybrid-flex fuel technology.
The Fair Trade Commission will demand Nissan take measures to prevent a recurrence of unfair reductions in payments to subcontracting auto parts makers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 4, 2024
Japan FTC to warn Nissan over payments to parts suppliers
The reductions are estimated to total about ¥3 billion for more than 30 suppliers over the past several years.
The assembly line at a production facility for Nio, a maker of electric cars, in Hefei, China, on Dec. 4. U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into auto software that could track U.S. drivers, part of a broader effort to stop electric vehicle imports from China.
BUSINESS / Tech / ANALYSIS
Mar 2, 2024
The politics and economics behind Biden's China car espionage probe
The U.S. leader's saber-rattling as another opportunity to demonstrate he is tough on China, experts say.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals