Source: Reuters

“There are 5.5 million people involved in the automotive industry in Japan. Among them are those who have been doing engine-related (work) for a long time,” Akio Toyoda told reporters; speaking for Japan.

“If EV simply become the only choice, including for our suppliers, those people’s jobs would be lost,” he said, adding he liked gasoline vehicles.

Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker by sales, has been more cautious in its approach to EVs than other makers. That’s helping it currently as global EV sales slow and it benefits from demand for its expanding hybrid line-up, including in its top market the United States. It champions what it calls a “multi-pathway” strategy toward zero-carbon emissions that includes EVs, hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and other powertrain technology.

In January, Toyoda said EVs would at most account for 30% of the global auto market, with hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell and fuel-burning vehicles making up the rest. He did not specify a timeframe for that forecast. 

Toyoda made the comments to reporters at the unveiling of a bust of his father, Shoichiro Toyoda, at Nagoya University in central Japan. The elder Toyoda, who died aged 97 last year, led Toyota during the 1980s, when the company reshaped the global auto market, upending Detroit’s dominance. He also oversaw the launch of the luxury Lexus brand and the Prius hybrid.

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Source: The Nation, Thailand

Toyota is leading the list of automobile brands with the most vehicles registered by buyers in the first seven months of this year. The Land Transport Department (LTD) said on 22 August 2024 that a total of 322,627 vehicles with fewer than seven seats using internal combustion engines (ICE) had been registered from January 1 to 31 July 2024. Of them 110,861 were Toyota sedans, followed by 57,908 Honda cars and 34,420 Isuzu pickups.

As per the Automotive Act, the LTD groups sedans, SUVs, MPVs, pickup trucks and vans with seven seats and fewer as personal vehicles. The department added that 17,337 were BYD EVs followed by 4,278 NETA EVs, 3,667 Deepal, 2,690 Great Wall Motors, 2,606 Aion, and 2,537 Tesla EVs.

Seksom Akaraphan, LTD spokesman and Deputy Director-General, said a total of 1,623,778 vehicles under all categories were registered from January to July this year. They are categorised by month as follows:

• January: 259,299 vehicles
• February: 227,883
• March: 234,429
• April: 199,056
• May: 249,757
• June: 231,948
• July: 221,406

Of these, he said, 59,670 were battery electric vehicles and had been registered as follows:

• January: 15,915 EVs
• February: 6,259  
• March: 7,373  
• April: 5,973  
• May: 7,969  
• June: 7,911  
• July: 8,270  

The spokesman added that LTD wanted to promote the use of EVs, so it will reduce the annual tax rate on the vehicles by 80% for the second year counting from the date of registration.
 

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Honda is the latest to be the spotlight for the same acts along with its fellow automakers. The earth shook when Toyota was been accused of using modified vehicles during safety collision tests, for vehicles that are no longer in production. The raids come a day after Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologised to customers and car enthusiasts.

On 10 June 2024, Japan’s transport ministry inspected the headquarters of Honda Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. as part of investigations into vehicle test fraud involving five makers.

Image credit – Jiji Press

The ministry last week searched the head offices of Toyota Motor Corp., Yamaha Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp. after disclosing irregularities committed by the five makers in tests to obtain type approval, which is necessary for mass-production.

The ministry is investigating details of the irregularities and finding out if there is any other wrongdoing. After completing its investigations, the ministry plans to test 38 affected models to confirm whether they meet standards for type approval.

The ministry is set to lift its shipment suspension order for six models from Toyota, Mazda and Yamaha if they are found to meet the standards.

Last December, Toyota-owned carmaker Daihatsu closed all of its factories for more than a month, after admitting that it had falsified safety tests. Some of the cars were sold with Toyota branding. Daihatsu compensated more than 400 domestic suppliers during the period where its plants were idle.

Daihatsu Motor’s President and Chairman stepped down. Masahiro Inoue, Toyota’s CEO for Latin America and the Caribbean, replaced Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu’s President from 1 March 2024. 

Daihatsu found itself in hot water after a rigged collision safety test exposé. The Toyota subsidiary admitted last November it manipulated safety tests since 1989 (for one discontinued model).

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Source: BBC

The scandal has rattled Japan’s car industry, with rivals Honda, Mazda and Suzuki also admitting to submitting faulty data. Toyota sold more than 11 million passenger vehicles in 2023. It has said the findings do not affect the safety of vehicles already on the road. The company has suspended the production of three car models – the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross.

Toyota has also been accused of using modified vehicles during safety collision tests, for vehicles that are no longer in production. The raids come a day after Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologised to customers and car enthusiasts.

He bowed deeply and held the position for a few seconds, which is customary in Japan when companies apologise for wrongdoing. 

“We neglected the certification process and mass produced our cars without first taking the proper precautionary steps,” Mr Toyoda said.

Japanese carmakers Honda, Mazda and Suzuki are also due to be inspected by the authorities over the same issue. Honda said it found wrongdoing on tests related to noise and engine power, but it has stressed that its vehicles are safe to drive.

Mazda has halted the shipments of some cars and said it will bear the cost to its suppliers. However, the company added that it is not planning on issuing recalls. The findings also apply to one Suzuki car model that is no longer being produced.

Last December, Toyota-owned carmaker Daihatsu closed all of its factories for more than a month, after admitting that it had falsified safety tests. Some of the cars were sold with Toyota branding. Daihatsu compensated more than 400 domestic suppliers during the period where its plants were idle.

Daihatsu Motor’s President and Chairman stepped down. Masahiro Inoue, Toyota’s CEO for Latin America and the Caribbean, replaced Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu’s President from 1 March 2024. 

Daihatsu found itself in hot water after a rigged collision safety test exposé. The Toyota subsidiary admitted last November it manipulated safety tests since 1989 (for one discontinued model).

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Vietnam Express reported Audi prefers to participate in more exclusive and luxurious events, Ferry Enders, its CEO for Vietnam, said at the launch of a new showroom in HCMC’s District 7 in March 2024. Lexus expressed it has different business strategies every year, and this year they include not participating in the event. Mercedes has not explained its absence.

Other major brands to not participate are Mini, Kia, Mazda, and Peugeot, all manufactured and distributed in Vietnam by Thaco. VinFast, Nissan and Jeep have also opted out. 

11 companies have confirmed their participation: Ford, GAC, Honda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Surprisingly, three motorbike brands, Honda, SYM and Yamaha will also take part.

Last year the Vietnam Motor Show was cancelled due to falling demand for cars in the country. The annual event is usually organised in October to boost sales during the year-end season.

Auto brands have been introducing new models at lower prices than their predecessors to boost demand. South Korea’s Hyundai launched the 2024 MPV Stargazer at prices starting at VND489 million (US$19,210), down 15% from the previous 2022 model.

However, it boasts more advanced technology with wireless charging for smartphones, electronic brakes, forward collision waring, and lane assist. Toyota announced a 4.6% cut in the prices of its 2024 Corolla Cross SUV to VD820 million (US$32,200). It has received many new upgrades in technology and safety systems including a larger entertainment monitor and reverse brake assist.

Germany’s Volkswagen is selling its special edition of the SUV Teramont starting at VND2.5 billion (US$98,200), down 12% from the 2021 version. Mazda, assembled in Vietnam by Thaco, is selling its CX-5 at VND749 million (US$29,400), down 10% from the previous model.

“The key is to claim more market share. Amid a slow market, customers prefer affordable products. Prices determine the number of buyers,”  the manager of a Japanese auto dealership in HCMC said to explain why prices are being lowered.

Other industry insiders said by lowering prices companies are able to reduce their inventories, thus cutting storage costs. Higher sales also mean they are able to pay their bank loans faster. Last year auto sales plummeted by 25% to 369,400 units with most brands suffering double-digit declines. In Q1 2024, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association posted a decline of 18% to 58,200 units.

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Source: Reuters

Daihatsu found itself in hot water after a rigged collision safety test exposé. The Toyota subsidiary admitted last November it manipulated safety tests since 1989 (for one discontinued model).

The rigging affected 64 models, including some sold under the Toyota brand. Daihatsu also will be removed from a commercial vehicle partnership known as the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies (CJPT), the automaker said in a statement.

Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito criticised Daihatsu for the act, “It fundamentally undermines the credibility of type certificates and damages trust in Japan’s manufacturing industry.”

The Ministry issued a correction order to Daihatsu under the Road Transport Vehicle Law. The order requires the company to compile and report on measures to prevent a recurrence, such as eliminating its corporate culture that suppresses employees from expressing opinions to superiors.

Okudaira had a long career at Toyota spanning nearly four decades from 1979 before he became President of Daihatsu in 2017, a year after it became a Toyota subsidiary. Daihatsu Chairman Sunao Matsubayashi will also step down and will not be replaced, Toyota said.

Last April, the company had been falsifying crash-test results for four of its models, involving 88,000 vehicles made in Thailand and Malaysia in 2022 and 2023. In May 2023, it announced a production halt in Japan for two hybrid models because of similar “irregularities” including the Toyota Raize SUV.

Reports added investigation released in January 2024 found the acts included false reports on headrest impact tests and test speeds for some models.

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TSMC’s new plant brings a total investment in its Japan venture to more than US$20 billion with the support of the Tokyo government. The Taiwanese chip titan announced plans in 2021 to build a US$7 billion chip plant in Kumamoto in southern Japan’s Kyushu.

The company said the first Japanese factory would open in February 2024 with volume production in the Q4 2024. TSMC was also exploring building a second factory in the country.

In a statement, TSMC said its majority-owned unit Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing in Kumamoto would build a second fabrication plant, or fab, in response to rising customer demand. TSMC added the second fab will begin construction by the end 2024. With both factories, the site is expected to have total monthly capacity of more than 100,000 12-inch wafers to be used for automotive, industrial, consumer and high performance computing-related applications.

The capacity plan may be further adjusted based upon customer demand, it noted. TSMC is a major supplier to companies including Apple and Nvidia, holds an 86.5% stake in the Japanese venture, with Sony Group 6%, auto parts maker Denso 5.5% and carmaker Toyota with 2%.

TSMC’s expansion in Kyushu is central to the Japanese government’s efforts to rebuild the country’s position as a leading chip manufacturing centre and ensure the stable supply of chips amid trade tensions between the United States and China. The decision to build a second fab is a vote of confidence by TSMC in Japan where construction of the first fab has run smoothly and which, it sees as a source of diligent workers with a government that is easy to deal with.

Japan’s chip-making sector, the world’s biggest in the 1980s, struggled to maintain its competitive edge, going into a steady decline in the past three decades, while rivals such as Taiwanese manufacturers gained ground. While both TSMC and the Taiwan government said the majority of the company’s most advanced manufacturing would continue to take place in Taiwan, TSMC has been expanding its global manufacturing footprint in response to what it says is customer demand.

TSMC’s flagship overseas investment is a US$40 billion project to build two fabs in Arizona, supporting Washington’s plans to boost U.S. chipmaking capacity. TSMC is also planning its first European factory, in Germany, which will mainly serve the auto industry.

TSMC’s Taipei-listed stock has risen 8.9% so far this year on the back of a boom in demand for chips for artificial intelligence applications, outperforming a 0.9% gain for the broader index.

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Earlier this year, Toyota announced its partnership with Yamaha Motors to develop a hydrogen-fueled V-8 engine. The latter added the 5 litre V-8 engine will be based on that in Lexus RC Coupe with modified cylinder heads and fuel injectors.

Some downsides to Hydrogen are that it is highly flammable, difficult to process and store, and the combustion process emits nitrous oxide. The effects of inhaling nitrous oxide include dizziness, unconsciousness, and even death.

Long-term exposure can lead to infertility. Contact with liquid nitrous oxide can cause severe frostbite. Workers may be harmed from exposure to nitrous oxide.

Making Hydrogen Car Engines

Generally, an engine is made up mainly of various metal alloys, so the material used and its components can be recycled. The most important structural materials in 4-stroke engines are cast iron, alloy and structural steels, and aluminium alloys. It also depends on the manufacturer what all material they use.

That is also where the challenge comes in. hydrogen is known to cause embrittlement and cracking in steel, commonly named as hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC). HIC typically occurs in aqueous solutions, as hydrogen can diffuse into the steel matrix, resulting in steel embrittlement and cracking. 

HIC is a major concern in many industries. It is often caused by accidental factors during the forming or finishing process that allow hydrogen to enter the steel matrix. HIC is influenced by three primary factors: material performance, environmental conditions, and stress.

Discovering HIC

Li Xun, a physical metallurgist from Shaoyang, Hunan province discovered the secrete and the principle of hydrogen brittleness in steels when he conducted a research project of seeking out the cause of an accidental crack in aircraft engine shaft. He proved the internal hair-crack in steel was due to the existence of hydrogen in the material.

From the view point of diffusion, solubility and structure of steel, he expounded the relationship of time-temperature-size and hydrogen content in steel products, which produced great impact on the iron and steel technology in the world and made him the acknowledged pioneer in this field.

Under his leadership, scientists in the Institute of Metals Research studied uranium metallurgy, high temperature cast alloys, refractory metals and alloys, measurements of physical properties of materials under high temperature, and rare-earth application in steel and the like.

Characteristics Of Hydrogen

Hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) refers to the internal cracks brought about by material trapped in budding hydrogen atoms. It involves atomic hydrogen, which is the smallest atom, that diffuses into a metallic structure.

In the case of a crystal lattice becoming saturated or coming into contact with atomic hydrogen, many alloys and metals may lose their mechanical properties. High-strength steels containing chromium and nickel are highly susceptible to hydrogen.

Steels with high carbon content have a greater tendency to hydrogen-induced cracking, while low carbon steels are less prone to this phenomenon.

Back to the subject of automotive manufacturing, the most expensive aspect of production is creating and constructing the fuel cell stack – instead of procuring raw materials. Costs associated with hydrogen station infrastructure must also diminish for an hydrogen uptake to happen.

Hydrogen has a lower energy content per volume compared to other gaseous fuels and this necessitates higher-pressure tanks and low temperatures for compact storage. To meet consumer needs, these vehicles require enough fuel capacity for at least 300 miles (483km) before needing another fill-up – but this requires an increased tank size compared to standard gas-powered vehicles.

Where Does It Leave Automotive?

Just on fuel cells alone, the industry can expect a spike on production costs. For engines where steel is one of the most commonly used material, forgings with a dense structure are more susceptible to hydrogen-induced cracking than castings with a loose structure.

When hydrogen atoms penetrate into the steel, the atomic bonding force between grains decreases, and the steel’s toughness is compromised. The fracture caused by hydrogen-induced cracking is similar to other brittle fractures, and high-strength materials are more susceptible to intergranular fracture. 

Additionally, in low carbon steel, small and incomplete dimples are likely to appear on the small facets along the grain, forming what is known as the “chicken claw pattern.” HIC in welded components can be sudden and poses a serious threat to both people and property.

Eliminating hydrogen in metals is critical. Certain steels or components used under specific conditions must undergo dehydrogenation treatment — for instance, galvanised parts used in aircrafts. Hydrogen removal is also necessary for zinc plating on elastic parts and high-strength steel.

The process of removing hydrogen from parts involves heating. The effectiveness is subject to temperature and holding time.

The higher the temperature and longer the time, the more effective the removal will be. Typically, the component to be treated can be placed in a vacuum oven and treated at a temperature of 200-250°C for 2-3 hours.

Hot oil can also be used to achieve the same hydrogen removal effect as the oven. This method offers the benefit of uniform heating and simpler equipment requirements.

Hence, the question is: how far can Toyota go with this V-8 engine, especially when there is a plethora of factors to be considered. From the cost of equipment which have to be sophisticated enough to handle hydrogen, the need for skilled operators plus the infrastructure required to execute the operations. For V-8 to be converted into a cash cow, it will certainly be a long wait.

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Source: Reuters

Total sales of Japanese auto brands in China were down 32% year-on-year in the first quarter, more than double the pace of the overall market contraction, industry data analysed by Reuters showed.

While other automakers like Volkswagen AG have also been caught out by the sharp shift in China, Japanese automakers stand out because of their limited showing in the fast-growing category of electric and plug-in hybrid sales.

Production and margins will come under pressure in China as automakers cut output and prices of gasoline-powered cars to keep inventories in check, analysts say, in a worrying sign of the competition Japanese automakers could increasingly face outside their home market.

“Especially Japanese automakers face a little bit more inventory of new cars,” in China, Yasushi Matsui, Chief Financial Officer at parts supplier Denso Corp, said last week. “They are making adjustments.”

Mitsubishi Motors Corp, said it had suspended production of its Outlander SUV in China for three months and would take a charge of $77 million for slowing sales at its joint venture with state-owned GAC Group.

Mitsubishi, like some other Japanese automakers, does not break out China sales figures. Industry data analysed by Reuters showed its first-quarter sales in China fell by 58% from a year earlier.

In another shift, Nissan’s Sylphy, a sedan that had been China’s top-selling vehicle for three years, was edged out last year by the BYD Song, a plug-in hybrid made by BYD, China’s top automaker.

In emailed comments, Nissan said it had sold over 5 million Sylphys in China over the years, adding that an electric-drive hybrid version was eligible for incentives in Guangzhou. The company said it was working with other cities on similar support. The e-Power electric-drive hybrid version of the sedan would be central to Nissan’s brand transformation in China, it said.

‘JAPAN IS THE BIGGEST LOSER’

Toyota Motor Corp has said its go-slow approach to all-electric cars protects consumer choice, but the strategy is costing sales in China, analysts say.

“Japan is the biggest loser of the price war so far. As EVs get more affordable, they become more attractive to the core buyers who have been resisting so far, the buyers of foreign brands. So, you can see the writing is on the wall.” said Bill Russo, Founder and CEO of Automobility, a Shanghai-based consultancy.

Japan’s share of car sales in China slumped to 18.5% in the first quarter, down from 24% in 2020, industry data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers analysed by Reuters showed.

Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus posted a 14.5% drop in first-quarter sales, company data showed.

“We need to increase our speed and efforts to firmly meet the customer expectations in the Chinese market,” Toyota CEO Koji Sato said in an interview last month.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd posted a 45.8% drop in China sales and Mazda Motor Corp sales were down 66.5% in the first quarter. Honda Motor Co Ltd had a 38.2% drop, industry data showed. Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe acknowledged the automaker lagged Chinese rivals in some software technologies.

China’s automakers are “further ahead of us than we expected,” Mibe said at a presentation in Tokyo focused on Honda’s efforts in autonomous driving and services like gaming. Japanese automakers built their reputation on factors like durability, but the shift in China shows the draw of lower-priced electric cars and new offerings based on software, said Masatoshi Nishimoto, principal research analyst at S&P Global Mobility in Tokyo.

“Japanese automakers could face a similar struggle in the United States as in China,” he said.

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Source: Reuters
Reporting by Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Clarence Fernandez

Toyota — the world’s largest automaker by sales will also set up a new, specialised unit to focus on next-generation battery EVs, senior executives said at a briefing as they outlined plans under its new leadership team. Inclusive of its Lexus luxury brand, the company has just three battery models on the market and last year sold fewer than 25,000 of those worldwide.

Investors and environmental groups have criticised Toyota for being slow to embrace battery-powered cars, saying it has lost ground to Tesla Inc and others that have more nimbly captured fast-growing demand. The Japanese automaker has countered that EVs are just one option for customers and that gasoline-electric hybrids such as its pioneering Prius are a more realistic choice for some markets and drivers.

“In the next few years we will expand our line-up in the important battery electric category,” Toyota Chief Executive Koji Sato told the briefing, his first in the top job, but added that hybrids would remain an important pillar.

EVs are now expected to make up more than half of total worldwide vehicle production by 2030. Meeting that demand will be critical for Toyota, which also said it would increase production in the United States, where the growth in EVs is outpacing that of the overall market.

Toyota’s target of selling 1.5 million BEVs a year in 2026 was 25% higher than a 1.2 million battery-powered units it was expected to sell by then according to an S&P Global Mobility forecast compiled before Friday’s announcement.

“There’s a gap of 300,000 units so that can be thought of as a difference of about a year,” said Yoshiaki Kawano, an associate director at S&P Global Mobility. “It doesn’t seem like it’s impossible to achieve at all,” he said, adding the outcome would still depend on what models Toyota rolled out.

Toyota reported U.S. sales fell by nearly 9% during the first quarter. By contrast, General Motors Co saw an 18% boost, helped by greater demand for EVs from fleet and commercial customers.

U.S. consumers making the switch to electric vehicles are largely doing so from Toyota and Honda Motor Co, data from S&P Global Mobility showed in November.

“Now that it is time to make the next big innovative leap, Toyota is falling behind and more and more folks in the U.S. are starting to understand that,” East Peterson-Trujillo, a clean vehicles campaigner with nonprofit Public Citizen, said in an interview.

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The post Toyota To Have 10 New EV Models By 2026 appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.