Tag - cars

 
 

CARS

Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota's chief technology officer, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2024
Toyota bets on alternate-fuel engines in an electric future
The carmaker said its making progress on developing smaller, more efficient engines that can work with EV manufacturing platforms.
A building in Tokyo housing the Metropolitan Police Department
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 22, 2024
Young girl dies after neck gets caught in car window in Tokyo
The death of the 2-year-old girl underscores ongoing concerns about the safety of children in vehicles.
Toyota Land Cruisers bound for shipment at Yokohama port
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2024
Surge in luxury car thefts in Japan spurs call for preventative measures
Stolen vehicles are often illegally exported, leading authorities to call for increased vigilance.
Passengers onboard a self-driving vehicle in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture, last year
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2024
Japan targets 30% share in next-generation cars
The 30% target was included in a new strategy released by the ministries for software development for next-generation vehicles with advanced digital technologies.
Strong sales of Prius hybrids are delivering a cash boost for Toyota to invest in fully-electric cars.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2024
Hybrids delivering cash chest for Toyota and Honda’s EV ambitions
With the shift to battery-electric vehicles clearly taking much longer than anticipated, consumers are voting for hybrids with their wallets.
Toyota CEO Koji Sato says the company plans to expand AI-related investments, and this year will focus on building a strong foundation for software-defined vehicles.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024
Japan’s carmakers look to China tech to claw back market share
With no signs of demand slowing for Chinese EVs, Japanese carmakers are looking to adapt their strategies to win over the world’s biggest auto market.
Workers head to Daihatsu Motor's plant at its headquarters in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 7, 2024
Daihatsu resumes production at all plants
All of Daihatsu's four finished vehicle assembly plants in Japan are back online for the first time in about four months.
Wecars President and CEO Shinjiro Tanaka (center) at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Companies
May 1, 2024
New firm formed to take over Bigmotor's operations
Wecars took over around 250 outlets and some 4,200 employees from Bigmotor, and its board of directors does not include former members of Bigmotor's board.
Visitors check a Tesla Model 3 car next to a Model Y displayed at a showroom of the U.S. electric-vehicle maker in Beijing on Feb. 4.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 29, 2024
Tesla clears key regulatory hurdles for self-driving in China
Tesla is said to have reached an agreement with Baidu to use the Chinese tech giant's mapping license for data collection.
Toyota's annual global sales topped 10 million units in 2023 for the first time.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 26, 2024
Toyota sets records for output and sales as scandals fail to dent demand
Global sales increased 5% from a year earlier to 11.1 million units, new data shows, exceeding 10 million for the first time.
Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda Motor, speaks next to EZ-6 electric vehicles during the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2024
Nissan and Mazda roll out new models for China as they aim for comeback
The models, including some concept cars, were introduced at the Beijing Auto Show.
Daihatsu President Masahiro Inoue
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2024
Daihatsu’s new president sees potential in Africa and South America
Masahiro Inoue pointed at strong demand for compact cars in those markets due to a prevalence of narrow roads.
Japanese startup Turing plans to unveil a self-driving car with at least 30 minutes’ driving range next year and develop a fully autonomous car by 2030.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2024
An AI star seeks to bring self-driving cars to Japan by 2030
The mind behind an AI algorithm that beat a shogi master now has his sights set on a fully self-driving vehicle by 2030.
Home electric vehicle chargers during the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show in Quebec, Canada, on Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is offering more tax breaks to automotive firms to put their electric vehicle factories in Canada.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2024
Honda nears deal with Canada to boost electric vehicle capacity
The auto sector is particularly important to Ontario, Canada’s largest province by population and home to assembly plants.
An AA patrol for electric vehicles in Birmingham, England. Fewer than 10% of the U.K.’s 236,000 auto mechanics are qualified to work directly on EV batteries or their cases, according to the Institute of the Motor Industry.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 13, 2024
EVs head for junkyard as mechanic shortage inflates repair costs
High costs are prompting underwriters to total cars with relatively benign damage — prematurely consigning electric models to the junk heap.
A lone Tesla charges in the basement of a commercial property in Tokyo. One of Japan’s biggest obstacles to electric vehicles is subpar charging infrastructure.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024
How three high-tech countries became laggards in electric vehicles
Japan's slow adoption traces back to a decade-old bet on hydrogen fuel-cell technology, while U.S. and South Korea have hit bottlenecks.
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.
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.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.