Toyota

[gzbkel]

Toyota's efforts to stay relevant:
https://www.japaninc.com/tt979_Toyota-la...-lost-time

Last week Toyota made the latest in a string of press announcements

that show how seriously the company is taking multiple threats to its
current top-3 position in the global auto market. It announced that
one of its subsidiaries had set itself the goal of developing a
"supercomputer-on-wheels" self-driving vehicle ready to demonstrate at
the Tokyo Olympics one year from now. The subsidiary company, called
"Toyota Research Institute Advanced Development" (TRI-AD), already has
500 employees and a cash pile of JPY300bn invested by Toyota itself
and two large suppliers - Aisin Seiki and Denso. TRI-AD expects to
have over 1,000 employees by the end of the year.
[...]

[cyclone]

Toyota to invest $600 million in China's Didi, new JV to develop mobility services

Yilei Sun, Brenda Goh
JULY 25, 2019 / 12:01 PM

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it will invest $600 million in Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing as well as a new joint venture as the companies seek to develop connected and electric vehicle technologies in China.

The move accelerates a trend in China which has seen automakers launch their own ride-hailing services, and ride-hailing firms such as Didi team with automakers to develop purpose-built cars for their services.

It also comes as the auto and communications industries develop the next generation of connected vehicle technologies, including self-driving and so-called vehicle-to-everything technology, with the advancement of 5G network technology.

Toyota said the new joint venture would include the Japanese automaker’s Chinese partnership with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd (GAC), and would see the companies combining services and technologies to work on fleet management, car maintenance and car rental services.

That collaboration will utilize Toyota’s connected technologies and next-generation battery electric vehicles, Toyota’s Executive Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama said in a statement.

Toyota, which has said it aims to get half of its global sales from electrified vehicles by 2025, has tapped Chinese battery makers including Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) and BYD Co Ltd to aid it in the shift to electricity-powered cars. The move is in line with global regulations and a push among automakers to develop the new-energy vehicle industry.

It has also said it would set up a joint venture to develop connected vehicles with Japanese auto parts maker Denso Corp.

TIES WITH AUTOMAKERS

Toyota and Didi on Thursday did not specify whether their collaboration will involve car design or manufacturing, which is part of Didi’s goal to ultimately develop purpose-built cars for its services.

Toyota and Didi have previously teamed up on other vehicle projects and services for Didi drivers.

More details in https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyot...SKCN1UK0CY

[cyclone]

Toyota unveils $1.8 billion share buyback after strong second-quarter profits

Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Himani Sarkar
NOVEMBER 7, 2019 / 11:40 AM

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) unveiled plans for a $1.8 billion share buyback on Thursday, after reporting a more-than-expected quarterly profit on better global sales and an improvement in its North American business.

Japan’s biggest automaker posted a 14% rise in operating profit to 662.3 billion yen ($6 billion) for the three months ended September, from 579.1 billion yen a year ago. It was Toyota’s strongest second-quarter earnings since 2015.

The profit beat an average forecast of 592.3 billion yen, based on estimates from nine analysts, Refinitiv data showed.

The automaker sold 2.75 million vehicles globally during the quarter, up from 2.18 million units a year ago. Sales in North America, Toyota’s biggest market, rose 5.6%, while sales in Asia, including China, climbed 3.4%.

Operating profit in North America, which has been a sore spot for Toyota over the past two years, more than doubled during the quarter as benefits of measures to cut vehicle discounts filtered through.

“New models of the RAV4 and the Corolla, as well as last year’s Camry, have been well received in North America, so we’ve been able to lower incentives,” Operating Officer Kenta Kon told reporters at a briefing.

The car maker has also been expanding sales in China, the world’s biggest auto market, where demand has been strong for its recently updated models of the Levin, Avalon and Camry sedans, along with the ES sedan under its luxury Lexus brand.

Its sales in China rose 7.2% in the first 10 months of 2019, bucking an overall softness in the country, which is bracing for a second year of contraction amid slowing economic growth and tighter vehicle emissions standards.

Flush with cash following the strong quarterly showing, the automaker said it would buy back up to $1.8 billion worth of its common stock, or 34 million shares, through end-March.

Toyota maintained its forecast for operating profit in the year to March to ease 2.7%, after three years of gains.

It expects a strengthening yen to weigh on its bottom line, although it now expects the currency to trade at 107 yen to the U.S. dollar, versus a previous forecast of 106 yen.

Toyota’s projected slip in profit is subdued versus smaller rivals such as Subaru (7270.T) and Mazda (7261.T), which have slashed their full-year outlooks by 15%-45% in the past week amid weaker demand for their cars.

More details in https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyot...SKBN1XH0FK

[weijian]

I will put this interesting article under Toyota, since they are the only major car marker who, some time back, decided to go against the tide by betting on hydrogen.

The hydrogen energy dream

What it’s like to own a hydrogen fuel cell car

The ins and outs of owning a hydrogen-powered car illustrate the fuel’s promise, but also the immense hurdles it will have to overcome in order to take a bite of greenhouse gas emissions and anchor a new clean industry.

There are big advantages to a hydrogen car: It can refuel in five minutes, compared to sometimes hours of charging needed for a battery electric car. You also don’t need access to a car charger, but rather a pump similar to one used for gasoline, often at the same station.

https://www.vox.com/recode/22973204/hydr...ate-change