Ryohei Shimizu

Aug 20, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryohei Shimizu

NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor will install a giant gigacasting machine at a Japanese plant as soon as this year, Nikkei has learned, looking to lower electric vehicle production costs by adopting a technique perfected by Tesla. Located at a production center in Aichi prefecture, the machine will be one of the largest pieces of casting machinery in Japan. It will be capable of 9,000 tonnes of clamping pressure. Gigacasting machines typically apply at least 6,000 tonnes of force.

May 23, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Aya Onishi |Ryohei Shimizu

TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Electric and auto parts supplier Aisin plan to set up a joint venture for electric and hybrid vehicle components, Nikkei has learned, leveraging their combined scale for more efficient research and development as price competition intensifies. The company, to be majority owned by Mitsubishi Electric, will develop and produce components such as energy-saving inverters.

Apr 7, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryohei Shimizu |Takayuki Yao

NAGOYA, Japan -- In the year since Koji Sato took the wheel as Toyota Motor's president and CEO, the Japanese automaker reached new highs in valuation and earnings while also grappling with quality control scandals at group members. On March 1, Toyota became the first-ever Japanese company with a market capitalization above 60 trillion yen ($395 billion), roughly double the figure at the end of March 2023.

Oct 20, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryohei Shimizu |Azusa Kawakami |Takayuki Yao

NAGOYA, Japan/TOKYO -- Toyota Motor's adoption of Tesla's charging standard for electric vehicles cements the technology's lead in the North American market. But Asia will prove a different battleground. Toyota will incorporate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for EVs sold in North America starting in 2025, the world's top-selling carmaker said on Thursday, marking a switch from the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard.

Oct 5, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryohei Shimizu |Kotaro Hosokawa

NAGOYA, Japan/SEOUL -- Toyota Motor is accelerating its effort to build a new supply chain for electric-vehicle batteries, reducing its dependence on its own group. The Japanese auto giant announced on Thursday that it has signed a contract with South Korea's LG Energy Solution to supply lithium-ion batteries, which will be used for EVs that Toyota will produce in North America from 2025. Japanese automakers have built up keiretsu systems of businesses tied together via cross-held shares.