Toyota Motor Corporation - automotive industry company news

THE WEEK THAT WAS: Pain and gain

24 May 2013

More read-it-and-weep news for struggling European rivals from Volkswagen group this week as it chalked up another little milestone - selling over 3m vehicles in the first four months of a year.

AUSTRIA: Lexus banishes diesel from new IS line

24 May 2013

Though diesels account for the biggest share of the UK premium executive car market, Toyota's Lexus brand is plugging for hybrid instead.

PRODUCT EYE: Lexus tries again with new IS

23 May 2013

A colleague who shall remain nameless asked, among fellow journalists, the rhetorical question during the European launch of the third generation IS: given the success of Audi, BMW and Mercedes on home European turf, why does Lexus bother?

AUSTRALIA: Ford to end local manufacture in 2016

23 May 2013

After announcing an after-tax operating loss of A$141m for the 2012 financial year, following a A$290m loss in 2011, Ford has finally thrown in the manufacturing towel in Australia and will close its factories in 2016.

US: Denso execs facing prison for price fixing

22 May 2013

Two Japanese executives who worked for Denso Corporation are facing over a year in a US federal prison following their roles in a price fixing scandal.

UK: Toyota overtakes BMW as world’s most valuable car brand

21 May 2013

Toyota has reasserted itself as the world’s most valuable car brand, replacing BMW, rated the top brand in the Millward Brown survey in 2010 and 2012. Toyota held the top spot in 2006-2009 and again in 2011.

EXCLUSIVE: Next Mazda2 to use downsized CX-5 platform

20 May 2013

A spokesperson for the company's UK importer has told just-auto that the replacement for the Mazda2/Demio will use the same platform as the far larger CX-5 crossover.

US: Hyundai joins Department of Energy in new partnership focused on fuel cells

20 May 2013

Hyundai is uniting with the US Energy Department on a new public-private partnership called H2USA, which will focus on advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support more transportation energy options for US consumers, including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

THE WEEK THAT WAS: A little bit of niggle

17 May 2013

I wouldn't have thought that, with the current state of play in the European auto industry, there'd be too much niggle in the union ranks. But we've reported on a bit this week.

FRANCE: Toyota building Yaris for North America

16 May 2013

Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) has celebrated the 6 May, 2013 start of production of variants of the Yaris for export to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

VIETNAM: Sales jump 34% in April

10 May 2013

New vehicle sales in Vietnam jumped by 34% to 8,001 units in April, from a depressed 5,972 units in the same month of last year, according to data released by the Vietnam Automotive Manufacturers Association.

COMMENT: Can we stop talking about EV start-ups, please?

9 May 2013

Far too many analysts and writers have spent time covering electric cars by focusing overly on start-up automakers that formed to grab a piece of the emerging market for plug-in cars.

US: Tesla posts first ever quarterly profit

9 May 2013

US-based electric car maker Tesla Motors has posted its first ever quarterly profit in the first quarter as it also said it exceeded its target for deliveries.

PAKISTAN: Toyota Boshoku to establish Pakistan JV

9 May 2013

Toyota Boshoku has concluded an agreement to establish a joint venture in Pakistan with Pakistani automotive component maker, Thal, and Toyota Tsusho.

JAPAN: Toyota 2012/13 financials improve over fiscal 2012

8 May 2013

Toyota Motor Corporation boosted full fiscal year operating income from JPY355.6bn to JPY1.32 trillion, an increase of JPY965.2bn. Net income rose from JPY283.5bn to JPY962.1bn on sales up 18.7% to JPY22 trillion.

INDONESIA: Sales growth continues in April

8 May 2013

New car sales in Indonesia expanded by 17.2% to 102,079 units in April, compared with 87,079 units a year earlier, according to preliminary wholesale data released by local distributors.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: Once more to the toy shop, brothers!

3 May 2013

Those three of you who peruse every bit of just-auto's home page every day will probably already know The Editorial Team had our annual Fun Day Out this week, courtesy of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Test Day. I've been going, on and off, sice 1987 and the agenda follows a refreshingly familar, welll-proven and immensely popular programme which I believe is unique to the UK auto industry. After earlier using other venues, the SMMT nowadays books Millbrook, the former Vauxhall Proving Ground (founded 1968), almost every importer/manufacturer shows up with the allocated six cars, caterers lay out a fine breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea - and we show up and go nuts.

US APRIL SALES: Detroit grows market share

3 May 2013

US light vehicle sales continued their upward swing in April, finishing up 8.5% year on year at 1.29m for the month. Year to date (YTD) results were 6.9% ahead of the first four months of 2012.

NEW ZEALAND: Best April CV sales for 30 years

3 May 2013

New Zealand's new commercial vehicle registrations of 2,235 units was the best April result since 1982 when 2,754 were sold, according to the new vehicle trade group.

TOKYO PREVIEW: Global debuts list [Toyota fuel cell vehicle added]

2 May 2013

The media days for the Tokyo motor show are 20 & 21 November (the same as those for the LA show). Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this biennial event, our preview list is updated.

GERMANY: Mikuni, Eberspaecher establish HVAC JV in Japan

2 May 2013

Mikuni Corporation and Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems have signed a joint venture agreement. Newly established Eberspaecher Mikuni Climate Control Systems Corporation headquartered in Odawara will distribute vehicle climate control systems in Japan.

AUSTRIA: VW chief warns of cuts in temporary workers

29 April 2013

Volkswagen may cut temporary posts as European car markets continue to weaken although chief executive officer Martin Winterkorn ruled out factory closures or any reduction in permanent workers.

US: Toyota Mississippi switches on 50kW solar array

26 April 2013

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, TVA and New Albany Light, Gas and Water (NALGW) held a ceremony to start up the plant's new 50 kilowatt solar array.

INDONESIA: Toyota Industries plans to boost air conditioning supply

25 April 2013

Toyota Industries is to build a new factory to make automotive air conditioning compressors in Indonesia to supply the ASEAN market.

JAPAN: Production reaches four-year high

24 April 2013

Japan’s major carmakers' combined domestic output in fiscal 2012 rose 2.9% over the previous year to 9,055,373 units, passing 9m for the first time in four years.

COLOMBIA: Sales fell 23% YTD in Q1 but recovery is expected

24 April 2013

The government announcement about reducing credit interest rates came as Colombian new car sales fell 23% YTD though month on month sales in March rose 2.9% to 22,888 units, the best month in 2013 so far.

JAPAN: Toyota Kyushu to add new model late 2014

24 April 2013

Toyota Motor (TMC) has announced that its vehicle and engine production subsidiary in Kyushu, Toyota Motor Kyushu (TMK), will start producing a new model in late 2014. No details of the model were announced.

INDONESIA: Daihatsu delays small car production

23 April 2013

Indonesia’s largest vehicle manufacturer, Astra Daihatsu Motor, said it is delaying production of its new small car range until the government announces its long-anticipated small car policy.

SHANGHAI: Dongfeng & Kia announce Horki brand

22 April 2013

DYK, China's Dongfeng Yueda Kia joint venture, has revealed the Horki Concept-1 at the media preview day of the Shanghai motor show. The first car for this new brand will be built in one of DYK's three Yancheng plants from 2015.