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Tag: Toyota

  • Toyota Recalls 3.2 Million Vehicles Worldwide Over Fuel Pump Problem

    Toyota Recalls 3.2 Million Vehicles Worldwide Over Fuel Pump Problem

    Toyota said the recall now covers 1.8 million U.S. Toyota and Lexus vehicles in total in the United States, including older vehicles from as far back as the 2013 model year — and more than 1 million vehicles than it announced in January.

    Toyota Motor said Wednesday it is now recalling 3.2 million vehicles worldwide to address a fuel pump issue that could result in engine stalling. The Japanese automaker first said in January it would recall 696,000 U.S. vehicles with a fuel pump that may stop operating and lead to stalling of the engine. Dealers will replace the fuel pumps with new ones.

    Toyota said the recall now covers 1.8 million U.S. Toyota and Lexus vehicles in total in the United States, including older vehicles from as far back as the 2013 model year — and more than 1 million vehicles than it announced in JanuaryToyota began a probe into the fuel pump issue in June.

    The automaker told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in January it was aware of 66 field reports and 2,571 warranty claims that relate to fuel pump failures in the vehicles initially recalled. Owners have complained of rough engine running, engine not starting and loss of power while driving at low speeds. Toyota said the reports occurred more commonly in areas of the southern U.S. with warmer climates.

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  • Toyota’s China Sales Sink In February On Coronavirus Outbreak

    Toyota’s China Sales Sink In February On Coronavirus Outbreak

    Japanese automaker Toyota said on Wednesday its car sales in China, the world’s biggest auto market, fell 70.2% in February due to the coronavirus epidemic which has killed more than 2,900 people. Toyota, which is the first major global automaker to report its February sales in China, said it sold 23,800 Toyota and premium Lexus cars.

    According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), China’s overall passenger car sales dropped 89% in the first 23 days of February.

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  • Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest $2 billion to develop electric vehicles in Indonesia over the next four years, starting with hybrid vehicles, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs said.

    “From 2019 to 2023, we will progressively increase our investment to 28.3 trillion rupiahs ($2 billion),” Toyota president Akio Toyoda was quoted as saying in a statement released by the ministry on Thursday.

    Toyota said this month that it aimed for half its global sales to be from electric vehicles by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and will tap Chinese battery makers to meet the accelerated global shift to electric cars.

    The deal was agreed at a meeting in Osaka on Thursday between Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan and Toyoda.

    “Because the Indonesian government already has an electric vehicle development map, Toyota considers Indonesia a prime EV investment destination,” Toyoda said in the statement.

    He said Toyota would follow the government’s EV plan by investing in stages, starting with the development of hybrid vehicles.

    Monet, the self-driving car joint venture of Toyota and SoftBank Corp., separately told Reuters in June it plans to begin operating in Southeast Asia next year

    Indonesia, the region’s largest economy, has plentiful reserves of nickel laterite ore, a vital ingredient in the lithium-ion batteries used to power EVs, and has been making a push to attract foreign carmakers.

    Officials are betting Indonesia, which is already Southeast Asia’s second-largest car production hub, can become a major regional player in lithium battery production and feed the fast-rising demand for EVs.

    The country announced earlier in 2019 plans to introduce a financial program that will offer tax cuts to EV battery producers and automakers, as well as preferential tariff agreements with other countries that have a high EV demand.

    Indonesian ministers told Reuters in December that Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. plans to start producing EVs in Indonesia as part of an around $880 million auto investment in the country.

    Mitsubishi, meanwhile, announced in mid-2018 it would work with the Indonesian government to research infrastructure that could accommodate EVs.

    Analysts are cautious however on how quickly Indonesia’s EV ambitions can be carried out, as some of its lithium battery projects require complicated nickel smelter technology.

    The ministry’s statement on Thursday gave no details on how Toyota, which already makes batteries for hybrids and hybrid plug-ins, would implement its investment plans.

    Toyota was not immediately reachable for comment, but said in June it would partner with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. and EV maker BYD Co. for battery procurement.

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  • Toyota subsidiary to set up another airbag plant in northern Vietnam

    Toyota subsidiary to set up another airbag plant in northern Vietnam

    Japanese auto parts maker Toyoda Gosei plans to build another airbag plant in Thai Binh Province at a cost of $16.8 million next year.

    Work on the plant will begin in May 2020. When completed in October 2021 it will help increase the company’s capacity in Vietnam to 25 million airbags annually, Toyoda Gosei said in a statement on Wednesday. It will employ 700 workers initially, increasing to 2,000 by the end of 2023.

    Toyoda Gosei, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., built its first plant in Vietnam in Hai Phong City in 2004. Last July it opened a $24.6-million second plant at the Tien Hai Industrial Park in Thai Binh Province.

    It plans to increase the capacity of the Hai Phong factory to meet increasing orders. Airbags produced in Vietnam are exported mainly to Japan but also to other markets such as ASEAN and North America.

    Established in 1949, Toyoda Gosei has 67 facilities and factories in 17 countries around the world.

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  • Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota Motor plans to invest $2 billion to develop electric vehicles in Indonesia over the next four years, starting with hybrid vehicles, Indonesia’s coordinating ministry for maritime affairs said.

    “From 2019 to 2023, we will progressively increase our investment to 28.3 trillion rupiah ($2 billion),” Toyota president Akio Toyoda was quoted as saying in a statement released by the ministry on Thursday.

    Toyota said this month that it aimed for half its global sales to be from electric vehicles by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and will tap Chinese battery makers to meet the accelerated global shift to electric cars.

    The deal was agreed at a meeting in Osaka on Thursday between Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan and Toyoda.

    “Because the Indonesian government already has an electric vehicle development map, Toyota considers Indonesia a prime EV investment destination,” Toyoda said in the statement.

    He said Toyota would follow the government’s EV plan by investing in stages, starting with the development of hybrid vehicles.

    Monet, the self-driving car joint venture of Toyota and SoftBank Corp., separately told Reuters in June it plans to begin operating in Southeast Asia next year.

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  • Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota to invest $2 billion in developing EVs in Indonesia

    Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest $2 billion to develop electric vehicles in Indonesia over the next four years, starting with hybrid vehicles, Indonesia’s coordinating ministry for maritime affairs said.

    “From 2019 to 2023, we will progressively increase our investment to 28.3 trillion rupiah ($2 billion),” Toyota president Akio Toyoda was quoted as saying in a statement released by the ministry on Thursday.

    Toyota said this month that it aimed for half its global sales to be from electric vehicles by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and will tap Chinese battery makers to meet the accelerated global shift to electric cars.

    The deal was agreed at a meeting in Osaka on Thursday between Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan and Toyoda.

    “Because the Indonesian government already has an electric vehicle development map, Toyota considers Indonesia a prime EV investment destination,” Toyoda said in the statement.

    He said Toyota would follow the government’s EV plan by investing in stages, starting with the development of hybrid vehicles.

    Monet, the self-driving car joint venture of Toyota and SoftBank Corp., separately told Reuters in June it plans to begin operating in Southeast Asia next year.

    Battery hub

    Indonesia, the region’s largest economy, has plentiful reserves of nickel laterite ore, a vital ingredient in the lithium-ion batteries used to power EVs, and has been making a push to attract foreign carmakers.

    Officials are betting Indonesia, which is already Southeast Asia’s second-largest car production hub, can become a major regional player in lithium battery production and feed the fast-rising demand for EVs.

    The country announced earlier in 2019 plans to introduce a financial program that will offer tax cuts to EV battery producers and automakers, as well as preferential tariff agreements with other countries that have a high EV demand.

    Indonesian ministers told Reuters in December that Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. plans to start producing EVs in Indonesia as part of an around $880 million auto investment in the country.

    Mitsubishi Motors Corp., meanwhile, announced in mid-2018 it would work with the Indonesian government to research infrastructure that could accommodate EVs.

    Analysts are cautious however on how quickly Indonesia’s EV ambitions can be carried out, as some of its lithium battery projects require complicated nickel smelter technology.

    The ministry’s statement on Thursday gave no details on how Toyota, which already makes batteries for hybrids and hybrid plug-ins, would implement its investment plans.

    Toyota was not immediately reachable for comment but said in June it would partner with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. and EV maker BYD Co. for battery procurement.

  • Toyota, Mahindra Decide To Stop Usage Of Single Use Plastic

    Toyota, Mahindra Decide To Stop Usage Of Single Use Plastic

    Over time cars and car companies have been blamed of contaminating the environment. Be it emission, exhausting fossil fuel or adding up to the noise pollution, cars have been the soft target to point the finger on. That said, the situation need not remain the same always. While carmakers are adhering to the government’s upcoming emission standards, fuel efficiency norms and electrification targets in a bid to curb pollution, some are also taking steps to refine their production methods. Automakers like Toyota and Mahindra have decided to eliminate the use of single-use plastic in their manufacturing process.

    As part of the six challenges to be achieved by 2050, Toyota is trying to establish a recycling-based society and systems. The move ensures zero waste directly to landfills and achieves recyclability of 96 percent, at its operating plant at Bidadi, Karnataka and also helps in reducing45per cent of the plastic footprint. Commenting on the initiative Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Keeping in-line with our global Toyota Environment Challenge 2050 and aligned with honorable Prime Minister’s nationwide campaign to limit the consumption of single-use plastic, we have proactively implemented several initiatives encouraging our stakeholders to reduce, recycle and reuse, as a step towards a better tomorrow.”

    Mahindra’s initiative could also be extended in Ford’s Chennai and Sanand plant following their recent JV.

    Along with Toyota, even Mahindra has taken steps in this direction. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra put out in a tweet today that all 15 manufacturing plants of Mahindra & Mahundra have committed to stop using single use plastic latest by the end of this year. The move is crucial, even much so at a time when Mahindra has partnered with Ford in its India operations. It will have 51 per cent ownership in its India business, in-turn taking the charge of its Chennai and Sanand manufacturing plants which means we can hope the initiative being extended to even these plants by the day.

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  • Toyota To Expand Sao Paulo Plant

    Toyota To Expand Sao Paulo Plant

    Toyota Motor announced a 1 billion reais ($243.29 million) expansion at a plant in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, joining Volkswagen and General Motors in new investments in the region. Toyota said the funding would allow the Sorocaba plant, which builds the Etios and Yaris sedan models, to produce a new vehicle model. It did not provide details on the new model.

    Sao Paulo state has long been the heart of Brazil’s auto industry, which is, in turn, the largest in South America, but it had recently been losing steam against aggressive incentives offered by other states to lure manufacturers. Ford announced plans in February to shut down and sell one its oldest Sao Paulo plants.

    Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria has fought back to keep manufacturing jobs in the state, devising a tax incentive program to give automakers a 25% reduction in value-added taxes as long as they invested at least 1 billion reais and created 400 new jobs.

    Toyota, however, said the Sorocaba expansion will create only 300 jobs. The company, which has two other plants in Brazil, did not immediately respond to a question about whether this would still allow it to benefit from the tax incentives.

    “During the last decade, which involved challenging times for the economy and the auto industry, Toyota remained faithful in its commitment … growing in a sustainable way,” Rafael Chang, who heads Toyota in Brazil, said in a statement.

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  • Toyota Invests $391 Million In Its Texas Truck Assembly Plant

    Toyota Invests $391 Million In Its Texas Truck Assembly Plant

    Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday it was investing $391 million in its pickup truck assembly plant in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the Japanese automaker’s plan to invest $13 billion in its U.S. operations over five years through 2021. The company said the investment will be used to introduce advanced manufacturing technologies at the plant and also to help with the development and education of the local workforce. Christopher Reynolds, Toyota Motor North America’s chief administrative officer, told Reuters the investment could allow the company to eventually boost the plant’s capacity but no decision has been made. Reynolds added that the company was “bullish” on the future of its U.S truck sales, which are up 4% this year. Toyota’s San Antonio truck plant assembles full-size Tundra and mid-size Tacoma pickup trucks and employs more than 7,200 workers.

    The announcement comes a day after U.S President Donald Trump said Washington had struck trade agreements with Tokyo that could be implemented without congressional approval, but stopped short of assuring Japan that new tariffs would not be slapped on vital auto exports. Trump’s announcement left unclear whether he has agreed not to impose threatened national security tariffs on Japanese vehicles and auto parts.

    Avoiding the “Section 232” tariffs of up to 25% was a major motivating factor for Tokyo in negotiating with Washington on trade.Over much of the past year, the scope of talks has narrowed to exclude the automotive sector, the source of most of the $67 billion U.S trade deficit with Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in August announced an agreement in principle on a deal that covered reductions in tariffs on agricultural and industrial goods, but not autos.

    Abe has repeatedly emphasized the significant U.S investments of Japanese automakers and parts manufacturers to Trump

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  • Toyota Tests Solar-Powered Prius In Quest For Plugless Electric Car

    Toyota Tests Solar-Powered Prius In Quest For Plugless Electric Car

    Inspired by new ultra-thin solar panels developed for satellites, a project led by Toyota Moto is experimenting with a sun-powered Prius that it hopes will one day require no plugging in. In the Japanese government-funded demonstration project, Toyota engineers fitted solar panels designed by Sharp Corp to the hood, roof, rear window and spoiler to see how much juice the sun can generate. The electricity from the panels goes directly to the drive battery, so the Prius can charge while moving or when parked.

    On a good day, the charge can be sufficient for up to 56 kilometres (35 miles) of travel, more than the 47 kilometres driven a day by the average American, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

    But the performance drops off quickly if it is cloudy or even when it’s too hot. If used in real-world driving in those conditions, the Prius would have to be plugged in to recharge.

    The solar cells are super-slim – just 0.03 millimetres, making them malleable enough to form-fit to the body of a car. The engineers needed to create a buffer between the car and the cells to protect them, so the actual solar panel modules are closer to a centimetre thick.

    The trunk of the car is filled with batteries for the solar panels, adding an extra weight of around 80 kilograms (180 lb).

    Making the entire package lighter and bringing down the extremely high costs are among the biggest challenges for the technology, said Satoshi Shizuka, Toyota’s lead engineer on the project, adding that commercialisation likely remained “years away”.

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  • Toyota Using Tesla-Style Panasonic Batteries For China Hybrids – Sources

    Toyota Using Tesla-Style Panasonic Batteries For China Hybrids – Sources

    Toyota Motor has started using the same type of battery that Panasonic Corp designed for Tesla Inc in some of its plug-in hybrids sold in China, sources familiar with the matter said.

    Toyota is using Panasonic’s cylindrical batteries in its new Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrid sedans launched in China this year, one of the people said.

    The batteries are the same size as those that Panasonic makes for Tesla, but the composition is different, said the sources, who declined to be identified as the matter is private.

    The move reflects Toyota’s efforts to secure stable supplies of high-quality batteries amid the accelerated global shift to electricity-powered cars.

    Japan’s biggest automaker co-developed the batteries with Panasonic over a period of several years as it expands its lineup of electrified vehicles, according to one of the people, who has direct knowledge of matter.

    A Panasonic spokeswoman said the company is not in a position to comment as a supplier, while Toyota declined to comment. The Nikkei newspaper reported the news earlier.

    Toyota has favoured square, or prismatic, batteries for its vehicles, and uses some manufactured by Panasonic for its hybrids. The two companies announced a joint venture in January to build electric-vehicle (EV) batteries, pooling the R&D and manufacturing strengths of one of the world’s largest automakers with one of the largest battery makers.

    Toyota has also partnered with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) and EV maker BYD Co Ltd for battery procurement.

    Toyota is believed to have ordered about 50,000 of the cylindrical batteries, pushing Panasonic’s battery plant in Osaka to full capacity, the Nikkei said.

    Panasonic has been the exclusive battery cell supplier for Tesla, but the U.S. electric vehicle maker is in advanced talks with South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd as it seeks to diversify sources of the key component.

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  • More Jobs In Auto Lost, Toyota And Hyundai Cut Production

    More Jobs In Auto Lost, Toyota And Hyundai Cut Production

    With India’s auto sales declining for the ninth straight month in July, more automotive manufacturers are laying off workers and temporarily halting production to keep costs in check, according to sources and documents seen by Reuters.

    Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor are the latest in a string of companies to briefly halt some parts of production at plants to combat slumping sales, according to company memos to employees, reviewed by Reuters.Passenger vehicle sales in July fell at the fastest pace in nearly two decades.

    The sales declines have triggered major job cuts in India’s auto sector, with many companies forced to shut down factories for days and axe shifts.

    Sources have told Reuters that even more companies have now begun to lay off temporary workers as the slowdown worsens.

    Denso Corp’s India unit, which makes powertrain and air-conditioning systems for cars, has cut some temporary workers at its Manesar plant in north India, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

    A spokeswoman for Denso said the information was incorrect and declined to elaborate further.

    In a separate email, another company official disputed that the firm employed temporary workers at its Manesar plant.

    Bellsonica, which is part-owned by India’s biggest carmaker Maruti Suzuki and makes auto framework parts, has also let more than 350 workers go in Manesar, two sources said.In an email, Bellsonica said the workers that had been let go were temporary workers, and most had been let go earlier in the year.Reuters earlier this month reported automakers, component manufacturers and dealers had already cut 350,000 jobs

    In a meeting with India’s finance ministry on Aug 7, industry executives asked for tax cuts, and easier access to finance for dealers and buyers, in an effort to revive sales.Toyota, in a notice dated Aug 13, told its workers the company would halt production at its plants in Bengaluru in southern India on Aug 16 and 17 “due to low market demand of vehicles” and high stock of about 7,000 vehicles. N Raja, deputy managing director, at Toyota’s India unit, told Reuters that while the company had a flexible production system it had to resort to five no-production days in August to prevent the build up of stock.”The industry is deeply concerned with the reality of poor customer sentiment faced by the sector,” said Raja, adding he hoped the government would step in to support the industry

    Hyundai, in a memo on Aug 9, also said it would halt production for several days in August across various departments including the body shop and paint shop as well as its engine and transmission plants. A Hyundai Motor India spokesman said the company expected sales to pick up in the festive season starting next month and added that the company had not laid off any workers.

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  • Toyota Aims To Counter Mistakes Of Gas Pedal For Brake

    Toyota Aims To Counter Mistakes Of Gas Pedal For Brake

    Toyota Motor Corp. plans to introduce a safety function as early as this year to help prevent accidents caused by drivers slamming the accelerator instead of the brake by mistake, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

    The new function is designed to prevent vehicles from quickly accelerating when the driver presses the gas pedal too firmly, the report said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for measures to counter a number of fatal accidents recently caused by simple mistakes made in some cases by elderly drivers.

    The number of fatalities caused by drivers 75 years old or older reached a four-year high of 460 last year in Japan, according to National Police Agency data, and critics have been calling attention to cases involving senior drivers mistaking the accelerator for the brake. Toyota will likely first focus on installing the new function on hybrid vehicles popular among senior citizens if requested by car owners, the Yomiuri said.

    Toyota plans to keep the cost at 50,000 yen ($472) or less for the device, the report said.

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  • Toyota, BYD Team Up To Develop Battery EVs

    Toyota, BYD Team Up To Develop Battery EVs

    Toyota Motor said it would develop battery electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries with BYD Co Ltd, in a sign it was ramping up partnerships with Chinese players as planned to build affordable EVs for the world’s top auto market. In a joint statement, Toyota and the Chinese electric automaker said on Friday that they would develop sedans and sport utility vehicles, which would then be sold under the Toyota brand in China before 2025.

    Earlier this week, Toyota announced it was teaming up with China’s Contemporary Amerex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) to supply and develop batteries for lower-emission vehicles.

    Widely considered a late comer in embracing battery EVs versus rivals including Nissan, Toyota had flagged in June that it aimed to get half of its global sales from EVs, including gasoline hybrids, by 2025, five years ahead of schedule.But to meet this accelerated timeline, Toyota, Japan’s top automaker, would need more-than-expected batteries, prompting it to look beyond Panasonic Corp, its long-time partner in battery development, to secure supply.

    These measures come amid a breakneck growth in the zero-emission vehicle market, with tighter global emissions regulations expected to shift even more drivers away from gasoline engine vehicles in the coming decades. In China, Toyota is planning to launch its first battery EV, a version of its C-HR/IZOA compact crossover, next year.

  • Toyota’s War With Dealer Over Recalls Cost It $16 Million

    Toyota’s War With Dealer Over Recalls Cost It $16 Million

    Toyota Motor Corp. must pay $15.8 million to a California dealer who accused it of retaliating against him because he had developed safety-recall software that was costing the automaker millions of dollars in car repairs.

    A state court jury in Santa Ana on Monday found Toyota liable for unfair interference in a contract Roger Hogan’s two dealerships had with the automaker. But the jury found Toyota didn’t intend to deceive the dealerships by hiding material facts, and as a result didn’t have to pay punitive damages.

    “Other dealerships should be aware that Toyota cannot mishandle safety issues and cannot retaliate against dealerships for their commitment to safety without consequences,” said Amnon Siegel, Hogan’s lawyer. “This jury has put its foot down and said there will be consequences.”

    The owner of Capistrano Toyota and Claremont Toyota accused the Japanese carmaker of concealing that it was planning to oust him from its franchise system as far back as January 2011 while he was investing millions of dollars to expand and renovate his dealerships.

    Hogan claimed that his Autovation program, which he started in 2011 after a massive recall related to complaints about sudden acceleration, was much more efficient than Toyota’s own system in identifying and contacting customers whose vehicles hadn’t had repairs done.

    According to Hogan, Toyota wanted to kill his program, which was also used by other Toyota dealers, and oust him because it was costing the carmaker too much money to fix all the cars Autovation identified.

    “I still have these hundred cars sitting in my lot that I can’t sell,” Hogan said after the verdict. “Even though we prevailed, I still have a hundred vehicles and I will not sell these cars. They’re still unsafe. The jury saw that we did the right thing by stop selling those cars. They understood that they’re still dangerous.”

    Toyota noted the jury discounted $2.3 million from its judgment because it found the dealerships weren’t blameless either and engaged in misconduct.

    “While we respect the jury’s decision, we remain confident the evidence and testimony clearly demonstrated that Toyota abided by its contractual obligations to the Hogan dealerships and has been transparent with its dealers, regulators and customers regarding the vehicle issues raised at trial,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We will consider our options moving forward.”

    At the trial, Toyota denied the allegations and argued that Hogan brought the lawsuit because the carmaker didn’t want to go along with the succession plan for his dealerships. The Autovation program was a for-profit side business Hogan was running in violation of his agreements with Toyota, the automaker’s lawyer said.