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[1/3] Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan May 29, 2023. Under the agreement, announced at the Computex technology trade show in Taipei, MediaTek will integrate an Nvidia graphic processing unit chiplet and Nvidia software into the system-on-chips it supplies to automakers for infotainment displays. MediaTek systems using Nvidia software would be compatible with automated driving systems based on Nvidia technology, the companies said. The partnership with MediaTek gives Nvidia wider access to the $12 billion market for infotainment system-on-chips, the companies said. MediaTek, which has its base in the Android smartphone chip sector, sells its Dimensity Auto technology to lower-priced, mass market vehicle lines, and has strengths in mobile connectivity and Android systems.

TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - Proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended that shareholders of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) vote in favour of a resolution urging the automaker to improve disclosure of its lobbying related to climate change. ISS in a report also said it regarded three of Toyota's four outside board director nominees as not truly independent. Toyota's board said the fluidity of such disclosure made the proposal unsuitable for enshrining in the articles of incorporation. A spokesperson previously said few firms globally have made climate policy engagement-related disclosure to the extent of Toyota. "Toyota does not provide shareholders with enough information to evaluate its lobbying activities," ISS said.

☆ All the ways cars suck, according to the guy who wrote the book about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Knowles told Insider why Americans, and the world, love cars so much, despite the downsides. One person even wrote to The New York Times, suggesting that pedestrians crossing their street should point their guns at anyone driving in self-defense, Knowles wrote. Now, thanks to lobbying efforts by the automotive industry to move pedestrians off the roads and into cars, Americans view cars much differently, he said. Cars suck because they blow — chemicals and particulate matter, that is, Knowles wrote. Despite this, Knowles wrote, cars persist.

☆ Tesla's Cybertruck is finally coming. It's going to rattle rivals and transform the EV market as we know it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The futuristic-looking truck is going to redefine what a pickup truck can look like. Tesla’s entry to the pickup truck market could be exactly what the segment needs. Tesla is finally ready to enter the most lucrative vehicle segment in the US: pickup trucks. The Cybertruck's arrival is expected to shake up the electric pickup truck market – and the entire stalwart truck market – with its arresting design and high-tech features. "This is going to be Tesla's take on the pickup truck, which is enough on its own, and competitors should be very wary of that."

☆ Ford, GM and Toyota push into midsize pickup trucks, the latest battleground for U.S. automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Midsize pickup trucks are following the lead of their larger, full-size counterparts such as the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra. While the Detroit automakers dominate large pickup truck sales, Toyota Motor is the clear leader in midsize pickup truck sales with its Tacoma. Toyota has commanded a roughly 40% share of the American midsize pickup truck segment since 2019, when Ford and Jeep reentered the market, Edmunds reports. Edmunds reports the Detroit automaker's share of the U.S. midsize pickup segment last year was about 19%, followed by Stellantis ' Jeep Gladiator at 12.8% and the Nissan Frontier at 12.5%. Varying strategiesAutomakers' sales volumes speak to their diverging strategies in the midsize pickup truck segment.

☆ Toyota redesigns bestselling Tacoma pickup amid increased midsize competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Tacoma has led the midsize pickup segment in sales for nearly 20 years, as competitors such as Ford, Jeep and Chevrolet have come, gone and returned to the segment. Midsize pickup trucks represented 4.4% of total U.S. vehicle sales in 2022, according to auto research firm Edmunds. Toyota has commanded a roughly 40% share of the American midsize pickup truck segment since 2019 when Ford Motor and Jeep reentered market, according to Edmunds. 2024 Toyota Tacoma Limited ToyotaTrailing Toyota is General Motors , which sells the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. Tacoma is available in SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off Road, Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter.

☆ ON Semiconductor mulls $2 bln investment in electric vehicle chip production
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - ON Semiconductor Corp (ON.O) is considering investing $2 billion in boosting production of silicon carbide chips that are widely used to help extend the range of electric vehicles, company executives said on Tuesday. The company makes more than half of its own chips internally and has invested in a full supply chain for energy efficient silicon carbide chips, making both the raw materials and finished chips in-house. Trent said that increased silicon carbide production would happen at one of the company's existing sites, rather building a new factory, to save costs. At a financial analyst day on Thursday, executives said they aim to capture 40% of the silicon carbide automotive chip market by 2027. Over the same time period, ON Semiconductor expects to expand free cash flows from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion to $4 billion by 2027.

☆ Here's how much emergency savings you need amid economic uncertainty, according to financial advisors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nirunya Juntoomma | Istock | Getty ImagesAn emergency fund is a key piece of your financial plan, especially amid economic uncertainty. But the right amount of cash depends on your household and occupation, according to financial experts. Most Americans aren't prepared for a financial emergency, according to a recent CNBC/Momentive survey of more than 4,000 U.S. adults. "Rules of thumb overlook a number of important factors," said certified financial planner Andy Baxley at The Planning Center in Chicago. However, a one-income household with "highly variable pay" may aim for nine months of emergency savings, he said.

[1/2] A Toyota logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoTOKYO, May 12 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Friday the vehicle data of 2.15 million users in Japan, or almost the entire customer base who signed up for its main cloud service platforms since 2012, had been publicly available for a decade due to human error. The issue, which began in November 2013 and lasted until mid-April, stemmed from human error, leading to a cloud system being set to public instead of private, a Toyota spokesperson said. It could encompass details such as vehicle locations and identification numbers of vehicle devices, but there were no reports of malicious use, the company said. Toyota said it would introduce a system to audit cloud settings, establish a system to continuously monitor settings, and thoroughly educate employees on data handling rules.

Toyota's board on Wednesday recommended that shareholders vote against the resolution, to be put to the company's annual general meeting in June. On Wednesday Toyota said it expects a five-fold jump in pure electric vehicle (EV) sales this business year. "We need concrete policy changes and a better annual review drawing on independent data to calm international investors." LONG ENGAGEMENTIt will be the first time that Toyota faces such a climate-related resolution at its annual general meeting, the funds said. It first planned to submit a shareholder proposal in 2021, but withdrew that after it received assurances that Toyota would review its climate lobbying.

Toyota forecast operating profit will rise to 3.0 trillion yen ($22.2 billion) this business year, in line with analysts' average forecast of 3.02 trillion yen. That target came operating profit for the fiscal fourth quarter through March surged more than a third to 626.9 billion yen - easily ahead of the average 553.46 billion yen profit estimated by 10 analysts, according to Refinitiv data. Reflecting the weak yen impact, revenue for the business year ended March 2023 grew to a record 37.15 trillion yen. EV ACCELERATIONThe new EV sales target, still a fraction of industry leader Tesla (TSLA.O), would boost Toyota's battery EVs to nearly 2% of total sales volume, up from just 0.4% of its total vehicle sales in the last fiscal year. "We expect an increase in (overall) sales volume in all regions and production volume of 10.1 million (vehicles), due to such factors as ... improvement in semiconductor supply," Toyota said in a statement.

BANGKOK, May 8 (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) has stopped sales and deliveries of its Yaris Ativ in Thailand, senior officials said on Monday, after its affiliate Daihatsu rigged part of the door in side-collision safety tests. Toyota was working with the Thai government to resume sales of the model, which has been produced in Toyota's Gateway plant in Chachoengsao province, and further investigation was underway. "If development had been carried out under appropriate conditions, this kind of problem would of course not have happened," Maeda said. Daihatsu has said that some 76,000 of those vehicles were Yaris Ativs mainly bound for Thailand, Mexico and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Toyota President Koji Sato, who took over the top job from Toyoda on April 1, was not at the press conference.

☆ China poses greatest risk to Europe's carmakers - Allianz Trade study
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Allianz SE FollowTesla Inc FollowLONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) pose the greatest risk to Europe's carmakers and could cost them 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) a year in lost profits by 2030 unless policymakers take action, according to an Allianz Trade report. Europe's carmakers face a dual threat from the prospect of falling sales of their own vehicles in China, where local EV makers have been growing market share, and from rising sales of imported Chinese EVs - made by Chinese or Western carmakers. A crowded market for all-electric SUVs in China is putting pressure on local carmakers to export more vehicles to Europe. "The stakes are high for Europe's automotive industry: four out of five cars sold in Europe are assembled locally," the report added. The report said the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) had made Europe a target for Chinese exports.

☆ Qualcomm Hit by Smartphone Demand Woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Asa Fitch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Qualcomm has been whipsawed in recent quarters by flagging handset sales. Photo: josep lago/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesMobile-phone chip maker Qualcomm gave a gloomy sales outlook as it signaled the market for smartphones was more turbulent than expected. Qualcomm, which sells communication and data-processing chips crucial in phones from Apple and Samsung , has been whipsawed in recent quarters by flagging handset sales even as it sees growth in newer markets for its chips, including the automotive industry.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Western Alliance, Berkshire Hathaway, Wix & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"We are initiating coverage of ZI with a BUY rating and a $30 target as a rare value investment within software. Citi upgrades Deutsche Bank to buy from neutral Citi said the global investment bank is at an "attractive entry point." " Deutsche Bank is one of the most de-rated banks YTD, yet the 1Q23 results demonstrated potential for further consensus earnings upgrades." Rosenblatt reiterates Apple as buy Rosenblatt said it's standing by its buy rating heading into earnings on Thursday after the bell. " CFRA reiterates Berkshire Hathaway as hold CFRA said it's standing by its "fairly valued" hold rating heading into Berkshire earnings on Saturday.

While other automakers like Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) 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. 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. Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) posted a 45.8% drop in China sales and Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) sales were down 66.5% in the first quarter. "Japanese automakers could face a similar struggle in the United States as in China," he said.

☆ Ford posts stellar first quarter, boosted by fleet and legacy truck divisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor on Tuesday reported first-quarter results that significantly topped Wall Street's estimates, as the automaker's fleet and legacy operations outweighed growing losses in electric vehicles. Ford finance chief John Lawler said the quarter was a "peek at what's possible to generate value and growth." The company reiterated it expects full-year adjusted earnings between $9 billion and $11 billion and roughly $6 billion in adjusted free cash flow. Ford said it plans to have capital expenditures of between $8 billion and $9 billion in 2023. Ford also reconfirmed it expects to lose about $3 billion from its electric vehicle operations, known as Model e, in 2023.

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Japan will provide as much as $1.8 billion in subsidies for a slate of storage battery and chip-related projects, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday, marking Tokyo's latest push towards greater supply chain security. The government plans to give up to 184.6 billion yen ($1.38 billion) in subsidies for eight storage battery-related proposals and up to 56.4 billion yen for two semiconductor-related projects, Nishimura told reporters. Among the proposals that it will subsidise is a plan by automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) and battery maker GS Yuasa Corp (6674.T) to invest about 430 billion yen to boost storage battery production, with the ministry providing up to 158.7 billion yen in subsidies for the project. "We have great expectations that this will lead to the stable supply of storage batteries and the promotion of GX (green transformation)," Nishimura said. In a statement, Honda, GS Yuasa and their 14-year-old battery joint venture Blue Energy Co Ltd, said they planned to start production in April 2027 and would start mass production in October 2027.

TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Denso Corp (6902.T), a leading supplier to Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), reported an 86.3% rise in fourth quarter operating profit on Thursday, benefitting from stronger sales and weaker lockdown-induced headwinds. The company, a major manufacturer of automotive parts and chips, posted operating profit of 158.1 billion yen ($1.18 billion) for the three months to end-March, versus an average 161.51 billion yen profit estimated by 10 analysts. A year earlier, the company earned 84.9 billion yen in profit. Denso gets about half of its revenue from the Toyota group, which also includes Toyota truck unit Hino Motors (7205.T) and small-car maker Daihatsu, and counts Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda as a board member. The company, which makes systems for running gasoline engines and driving hybrid and battery-powered vehicles, projected operating profit of 510 billion yen for the current business year that started April 1.

☆ GM raised guidance, but its stock fell. Why Wall Street isn't buying in
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – When a company beats Wall Street's earnings expectations and raises guidance amid recessionary fears and other economic concerns, you would expect the stock to rally. Wall Street analysts say eroding pricing power, labor concerns and challenges in producing electric vehicles, will make it harder for GM to perform at the profitability levels it has been. Record-high vehicle profits and prices, achieved during historically low vehicle inventory levels and resilient consumer demand, are starting to normalize. GM CFO Paul Jacobson said Tuesday that the company expects flat pricing compared to last year. He said consumers paid an average of $50,263 per vehicle in the U.S. during the quarter, off 1% from a year earlier.

☆ TSMC aims to get newest chip technology into cars faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Many of the automotive industry's biggest chip suppliers such as NXP Semiconductor (NXPI.O) and STMircoelectronics NV (STM.DE) tap TSMC to make their chips. But automotive chips must meet a higher bar for ruggedness and longevity than the chips that go into consumer electronics. TSMC has special manufacturing processes for the automotive industry that typically arrive a couple years after similar processes for consumer chips. In the past it has then taken automotive chip firms extra time to create chip designs for those specialized manufacturing lines. At a conference in Silicon Valley on Wednesday, TSMC unveiled new software that will enable automotive chip designers to start work on their designs about two years sooner.

☆ Earnings playbook: Your guide to a busy week of earnings, featuring Meta and Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

What history shows: GM has reported a better-than-expected bottom line in 29 of the last 30 quarters, per FactSet. McDonald's is set to report earnings in the premarket, with management slated to hold a call at 8:30 a.m. What history shows: History shows Google's parent company beats earnings expectations 68% of the time, with the stock averaging a gain of 1.6% on earnings day, per Bespoke. Meta Platforms is set to report earnings after market close, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. What history shows: Bespoke data shows Intel beats earnings expectations 77% of the time.

☆ Union Pacific Earnings Muted by Volume Decline, Weather Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Esther Fung | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo illustration: Xingpei ShenUnion Pacific Corp. reported lower operating income as softening volumes from customers, higher costs from weather interruptions in California and inflation kept profits muted in the most recent quarter. The railroad said operating income declined 3% year-over-year in the first quarter while business volumes fell 1% as fewer carloads of industrial chemicals, forest products and grain offset higher demand from the automotive industry, the Omaha, Neb.-based railroad said. Freight revenue rose 4% to $5.7 billion.

☆ NXP CEO applauds EU Chips Act, seeks clarity on China restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Conor Humphries | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ENNISKERRY, Ireland, April 19 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Dutch-headquartered computer chip maker NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.O) on Wednesday applauded the passage of the EU Chips Act this week, but said the industry could use more clarity on export restrictions to China. Kurt Sievers said his company, which makes chips for the automotive industry as well for 5G telephone base stations, had been hit by successive rounds of U.S. export restrictions on China's Huawei. Around 38% of NXP's sales are to Chinese manufacturers, about half of which are processed and then re-exported to Western buyers. "A lot of that going forward could eventually move out of China, which doesn't harm us," he said. "I think it would be fantastic if there was a lot of synchronization between the U.S. Chips Act and the European Chips Act in terms of what to support such that it will be complementary," he said.

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