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☆ Breakingviews: Toyota without Toyoda takes a small step forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder of the world’s largest automaker, is handing over his title as Toyota (7203.T) president, which effectively means chief executive, to Koji Sato. The new boss is currently chief branding officer and president of the Lexus luxury unit. Sato’s role at Lexus might be more pleasing to climate activists who have lambasted Toyota for not transitioning to pure electric vehicles quickly enough. (By Pete Sweeney)Follow @Breakingviews on Twitter(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Koji Sato, incoming Toyota CEO, must navigate shift to clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Currently the CEO of Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, Sato will succeed Akio Toyoda as the CEO of Toyota on April 1. Under Toyoda, the automaker has followed a go-slow approach to electric vehicles, arguing that the hybrid technology it pioneered with the Prius will remain important along with investments in hydrogen. Sato started his career at Toyota in 1992, before rising through the ranks to become chief engineer of Lexus International in 2016, according to his profile on the Toyota website. That passion was obvious in a brief video clip released in 2021, where Sato sits next to Toyoda as they test-drive a Toyota Lexus. As Toyoda accelerates and whoops excitedly, Sato can be seen with a wide grin and occasionally laughing, unable to contain his delight.

☆ Economic data tells half-truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The best measure for tracking how much value an entire economy puts out, arguably, is gross domestic product. But for those trying to parse through Thursday’s U.S. GDP reading, published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the devil is in the details. The trouble is that economic growth was largely fueled by companies, not people, which reflects the real heartbeat of the economy. Strip out that and other inconsistent segments, and the U.S. economy grew at just a 0.2% annualized pace in the fourth quarter, the smallest jump since early 2020. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Diageo fortunes rest on reviving America’s thirst
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors in Diageo (DGE.L) are suffering from fading animal spirits. The share price of the $97 billion drinks company, which makes Guinness and Baileys, slumped 6% on Thursday, even though its 9% net sales growth beat analysts’ expectations of 8%. It’s possible that drinkers are getting more cautious, fearing a possible recession, and tempering their purchases of pricier booze. Sales in North America grew by just 3% year-on-year in the most recent six-month spell, compared with 14% a year earlier. But if the dry spell continues, Diageo shareholders may be nursing a more lasting headache.

☆ For automakers, the EV surge is everything everywhere all at once
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He must accelerate the Japanese automaker's efforts to develop more competitive electric vehicles. But he will get little breathing room from Tesla or the Chinese EV manufacturers who are using their leads in EV technology and production costs to slash prices. THE SHIFTING GROUNDGlobal automakers are experienced with periods of feast and famine that come on roughly seven-to-ten year cycles. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) on Thursday reported better-than-expected results powered in part by strong sales of its new EV lineup. Hyundai forecast its EV sales would grow by 54% this year - a faster growth pace than Tesla has forecast.

According to the document, Aramco's investment would be used to support development of decarbonization technologies for gasoline engines. SUBJECT TO BOARD APPROVALSThe oil company's deal with Geely and Renault still needs approval by the boards of the automakers, one of the people said. For Geely, the deal with Renault extends its pattern of building partnerships to expand beyond China. In that kind of arrangement, gasoline engines could be designed to operate in an "exceptionally efficient mode," one of the sources said. Geely has a previously announced a hybrid gasoline engine development deal with Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and holds a stake in the German automaker.

☆ Toyota says it plans to transform older cars into eco-friendly models to reduce carbon emissions, as the carmaker faces increased criticism for EV hesitancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Toyota plans to convert older cars into eco-friendly models by updating parts, the AP reported. CEO Akio Toyoda announced the effort at an industry event in Tokyo on Friday, per the AP. Toyota has been reluctant to produce EVs due to high costs and concerns about lack of demand. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda said the company plans to use a "conversion" strategy that involves transforming older cars into more sustainable models by replacing certain parts, the Associated Press reported. At the time, Toyota also pledged to make all models in its Lexus line electric in the US, China, and Europe by 2030.

☆ Toyota Considers New EV-Dedicated Platform as It Looks to Build Scale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( River Davis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said Friday EVs needed to be thought of independently. CHIBA, Japan– Toyota Motor Corp. is looking at rolling out a new manufacturing platform designed specifically for electric vehicles, part of revamped efforts to find the formula for making a large number of EVs profitably. The Japanese car company is considering a platform—a common foundation on which various car models can be built—that is different from the one underpinning the auto maker’s current EVs, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said.

☆ Back to the future: Toyota sets sights on old-car upgrades in zero-emissions drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda and Toyota's GAZOO Racing Company President Koji Sato attend an event for Toyota GAZOO Racing and LEXUS at Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonCHIBA, Japan, Jan 13 (Reuters) - In an eye-catching bid to show that cars can be clean while appealing to old-school petrolheads, Toyota Motor (7203.T) on Friday showcased zero-emission versions of its 1980s sports range, which still boasts a strong global fan base. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said remodelling existing cars needed to be explored as an option to achieve a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050. In Japan, only one in about 20 cars on the road are new, and older ones are mainly powered at least partly by gasoline. "It's important to leave a choice for cars that are already loved or owned by someone," Toyoda, a self-confessed car-lover and race-car driver, said at the event.

☆ GM reclaims title as America's top automaker after a 2.5% jump in sales last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – General Motors reclaimed its U.S. sales crown from Toyota Motor last year as the Detroit automaker eked out a slight gain in annual U.S. vehicle sales despite supply chain problems. GM said Wednesday it sold 2.27 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, up by 2.5% over 2021, including a 41.4% increase during the fourth quarter. Toyota said it sold 2.1 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, down 9.6% from 2021. Toyota edged out GM in sales by 114,034 vehicles in 2021 – dethroning the Detroit automaker for the first time since 1931 when it surpassed Ford Motor . Jack Hollis, executive vice president of Toyota Motor North America, on Wednesday said the Japanese automaker remains focused on retail sales, which are traditionally more profitable than commercial or fleet sales.

☆ Not So Fast on Electric Cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Allysia Finley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda recently caused the climate lobby to blow a fuse by speaking a truth about battery electric vehicles that his fellow auto executives dare not. “Just like the fully autonomous cars that we were all supposed to be driving by now,” Mr. Toyoda said in Thailand, “I think BEVs are just going to take longer to become mainstream than the media would like us to believe.” He added that a “silent majority” in the auto industry share his view, “but they think it’s the trend, so they can’t speak out loudly.”The Biden administration seems to believe that millions of Americans will rush out to buy electric vehicles if only the government throws enough subsidies at them. Last year’s infrastructure bill included $7.5 billion in grants for states to expand their charging networks. But it’s a problem when even the states are warning the administration that electric vehicles aren’t ready to go mainstream.

☆ Auto execs are losing faith in electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Auto execs are nervous about transitioning to EVs, consulting firm KPMG found in a new survey. Auto executive confidence in high EV sales in the US by 2030 dropped from last year. In a survey of more than 900 auto industry execs, KPMG found that respondents think only 37% of new vehicle sales in the US will be electric by 2030. The survey results come two days after Toyota's CEO came under fire for comments that indicate he's not all that sold on EVs just yet. The KPMG survey also reported that 76% of respondents said inflation and high-interest rates will impact their business in 2023.

[1/2] Participants look around Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's vessel at a recruiting event in Yokosuka, Japan December 10, 2022. The five-year plan unveiled on Friday will double Japan's defence spending and add new capabilities, including long-range missiles and an expanded cyber warfare unit. "It is just a paper plan and that should be corrected," said Yoji Koda, a retired navy admiral, who commanded the Japanese fleet in 2007-2008. Koda said the plan would limit Japan's ability to fight in situations such as land invasions and sea battles, giving its foes an advantage. Japan's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Toyota's CEO isn't fully sold on electric cars — and he says a 'silent majority' is on his side
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Toyota boss Akio Toyoda has long said that electric cars aren't the only way forward for the auto industry. He said a "silent majority" in the auto business agrees with him. But Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, isn't quite sold on electric vehicles. "That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. Not everyone is ready for an electric car, the automaker has said, due to high prices and underdeveloped charging infrastructure.

☆ Toyota Chief Says ‘Silent Majority’ Has Doubts About Pursuing Only EVs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( River Davis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just one option,’ said Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda. BURIRAM, Thailand— Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said he represented a silent majority of auto-industry people who are questioning whether electric vehicles should be pursued exclusively as the future of cars. “People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority,” Mr. Toyoda said Sunday to reporters in Buriram, a small agricultural town 190 miles northeast of Bangkok. “That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. But they think it’s the trend so they can’t speak out loudly.”

Japan and Britain hope to agree by the end of the year to merge their next-generation Tempest and F-X fighter programmes, sources said in July. Those talks, aimed at a joint project to field a plane in the mid-2030s, remain on track, according to four other people familiar with the discussions. Japan ended a ban on military exports in 2014 in a bid to promote overseas sales. An export boom, however, failed to materialize because Japan only allowed sales of non-lethal gear such as surveillance and rescue equipment. LDP lawmakers, Onodera said, are also discussing a joint U.S-Japan command structure that could be formed for national emergencies.

☆ Toyota unveils new Prius hybrids amid skepticism of its EV strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The automaker late Tuesday revealed new versions of the Prius hybrid and Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. 2023 Toyota Prius hybrid ToyotaMoving forward with the Prius as other automakers vow to go all-electric in the years ahead is part of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda's electrification strategy. Since the Prius launched in 1997, Toyota says it has sold more than 20 million electrified vehicles worldwide. The company says those sales have avoided 160 million tons of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the impact of 5.5 million all-electric battery vehicles. Interior of the 2023 Toyota Prius Toyota

☆ Toyota’s new, new EV plan suggests smarter driving
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Toyota Motor (7203.T) may be driving towards its third electric-car reboot in just 13 months as it tries to catch up with Tesla (TSLA.O), Reuters exclusively reported on Monday. But the $218 billion Japanese carmaker’s latest overhaul suggests it’s getting serious about addressing missteps with more speed. Electric-vehicle sales, especially in the past two years, have put the lie to that belief; growth has easily outpaced that of Toyota’s hybrids. The plan would involve slowing down the rollout of electric vehicles already in development so that Toyota could devise a more efficient manufacturing process. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Robyn Mak and Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The world's biggest automaker said it will make fewer cars than expected this year due to the global semiconductor shortage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Toyota said it will make fewer cars than the 9.7 million it had expected to make this year. Toyota previously said it expected to make 9.7 million cars during the 2023 financial year, however as a result of the plan it now expected output to be lower. The company did not say how far short it expects production to be. In late September, the company said that similar parts shortages would shave 50,000 vehicles from its schedule in October. Toyota — which produces globally recognizable models like the Prius — sold 10.5 million vehicles in 2021, 1.6 million ahead of next-placed Volkswagen, per Reuters.

By pointing to 2027 as the moment when East Asia's power balance may tip in China's favour, Japan's government can rally support for greater defence spending, he added. At a congressional hearing last year, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Philip Davidson said that China's threat against Taiwan could "manifest" that year. Japanese defence ministry officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In July, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida won national upper house elections with a pledge to "substantially" increase defence spending. The splurge of defence spending should also benefit U.S. suppliers such as Lockheed, Boeing Co (BA.N) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N).

☆ Toyota global vehicle output rises 44.3% in Aug to record for month
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday its global vehicle production grew at a record pace for the month of August, as the sector recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and production capacity increased, mainly overseas. Vehicle production soared 44.3% in August year-on-year, the first increase since March. The world's largest automaker by sales produced 766,683 vehicles worldwide last month, above its target of around 700,000 and above year-ago output of 531,448. Still, Toyota said the outlook remained uncertain due to the global chips shortage and COVID-19 outbreaks. Last week, the company said it plans to produce about 800,000 vehicles worldwide in October, about 100,000 short of its average monthly production plan, due to semiconductor shortages.

☆ 7 companies poised to cash in on the $30 billion hydrogen commercial-vehicle market by winning over giants like Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Andrew Moseman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rising fuel costs, the possibility of stricter emissions regulations to come, and questions about battery supplies, have all increased the appeal of zero-emission fuel cells. Volvo TrucksVolvo GroupCEO: Martin LundstedtMarket Cap: $32.97 billionHQ: Gothenburg, SwedenVolvo Trucks said in June 2022 it had begun testing hydrogen fuel-cell trucks. In the latter case, Plug Power has provided Amazon with more than 15,000 fuel cells to replace the batteries in its warehouse forklifts since 2016. Plug just signed a new deal to provide the behemoth with the liquid hydrogen necessary to run its fuel-cell vehicles starting in 2025. As part of a deal with Weichai group, Ballard is building fuel cells in China to power fuel-cell vehicles in that market.

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