Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) announced on Oct. 16 that it will bring in two new car models under Concept-i, creating a series of cars that use AI to take note of the driver’s emotions and preferences. Set to unveil three models at the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota has newly developed the Concept-i Ride, a two-seater...
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Toyota White Paper Anticipates New Demand for Autonomous Driving – Part 2
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) is currently engaged in the parallel development of two autonomous driving technologies: Chauffeur and Guardian. The former of these refers to complete vehicle autonomy, while the latter describes a set of advanced driver assistance and safety features. Toyota terms the philosophy behind the Japanese company’s development of autonomous driving technology the...
Toyota Adopts BorgWarner Silent Oil Pump Chain for Camry Engine
BorgWarner Inc. recently announced that its 6.35-millimeter silent oil pump chain has been adopted for use in Toyota Motor Corp.’s (TYO:7203) new eight-speed automatic transmission. This transmission is Toyota’s first to utilize an off-axis oil pump drive chain, and is set to be used in the automaker’s new 2.5-liter Camry engine. Compared with gears, BorgWarner’s...
Japanese Government Promotes Fuel Cell Trucks, Buses as Part of Hydrogen Strategy
The Japanese government has listed buses and trucks for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) development as part of the country’s basic hydrogen strategy, which will be fully compiled at the end of the year. As such large vehicles require a lot fuel, this will lead to improved profitability of hydrogen stations. The government has decided also...
Toyota White Paper Anticipates New Demand for Autonomous Driving – Part 1
Toyota Research Institute Inc. (TRI), a U.S.-based subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203), released a white paper on autonomous driving on Sept. 27. The document summarizes the company’s R&D stance on, and progress toward developing, autonomous driving technology. Although the white paper focuses on matters Toyota regularly addresses in public, ordered by their importance to...
Toyota, Mazda, Denso to Develop EV Technology Together
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203), Mazda Motor Corp. (TYO:7261) and Denso Corp. (TYO:6902) recently announced that they have signed an agreement that establishes a new company for the joint development of electric vehicle (EV)-related technology. With Toyota and Mazda agreeing to a capital tie-up in August of this year, the new company marks a continuation of...
Toyota to Expand Hybrid Transaxle Production to US
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) announced on Sept. 26 that the company will bring its hybrid transaxle production to the U.S. for the first time in 2020. Currently supplied from Japan, the unit is comprised of a motor, generator and power split device and is a central part in hybrid vehicles (HVs). The U.S. production will...
Panasonic AIS, Ficosa Team up to Develop Electronic Rearview Mirror
Panasonic Corp. (TYO:6752) subsidiary Automotive & Industrial Systems Co. (AIS), announced on Sept. 25 that it has co-developed an electronic rearview mirror with Spanish-based automotive parts subsidiary Ficosa International SA. The electronic mirror will go into mass production starting at the end of September and will be offered as a dealer option for vehicles from...
Toyota to Begin Production of Yaris GRMN in France
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) will begin production of the Yaris GRMN this autumn at the company’s French plant. The Yaris GRMN is a supercharged version of the Japanese automaker’s Vitz, referred to as Yaris outside of Japan. The company’s French factory was chosen to manufacture the Yaris GRMN because the base three-door hatchback is not...
Toyota Unveils GR Sports Car Range, Announces Opening of 39 Sales Centers Across Japan
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) announced on Sept. 19 the launch of its new GR sports car range. The first phase will see 11 variants of nine models launched under the GR brand before the end of March 2018, including the Vitz and Prius PHV. In conjunction with this, Toyota will open 39 GR Garage sales...
Jtekt Develops Torsen LSD for Light-Duty Trucks in Asian Market
Jtekt Corp. (TYO:6473) recently announced that it will begin mass production of a torque-sensitive limited-slip differential (LSD) for light-duty trucks as part of the company’s Torsen series. The company has to date focused the production of its Torsen series for application in four-wheel drive vehicles and rear-wheel drive (FR) sports cars, making development for light-duty...
Denso Makes Self-Driving Decision Functions a Focus of Development
Denso Corp. (TYO:6902) plans to broaden the scope of its development activities to include the decision element of self-driving technology. The key functions in self-driving are perception, decision and control. Under the division of roles within the Toyota Group, Denso’s main focus in developing this technology has until now been the field of perception, which...
Japan’s Passenger Car Manufacturers Pull in Record Numbers for July
Eight Japanese passenger car manufacturers recently disclosed data collated on Aug. 30 regarding their respective production and export figures for July 2017. Total domestic production volume from the eight companies increased by 1.4 percent year-on-year to 774,708 units. While exports fell slightly, domestic sales were strong, with five companies seeing increased sales figures over the...
Toyota, Gunma University Successfully Measure Changes in LiB Composition
A research group including Gunma University, Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) recently announced that it has succeeded in simultaneously monitoring composition changes in the cathode and anode of a lithium-ion battery (LiB). This was achieved through use of a high-luminance, high-energy X-ray at the large Spring-8 synchrotron radiation facility to measure the lithium-ion concentration distribution of...
Toyota to Kick off Fourth Leg of Five Continents Drive Project in Europe
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) recently announced that it will kick off the fourth leg of its Five Continents Drive Project in Europe in late August. The goal of this project is to provide feedback that will help Toyota to improve the cars that it manufactures. The vehicles involved will mainly be hybrid vehicles (HVs), including...
Steady SUV Demand Has Japanese Automakers Gearing up to Boost Production
Several Japanese automakers are accelerating plans to increase their supply of SUVs and other similarly sized vehicle types. These efforts are driven by the popularity of light trucks in the U.S., as well as by the low price of crude oil. Japanese automakers had already intended to up production of SUVs, expanding past their specialties...
Toyota to Test New Car-Sharing Application in Hawaii
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) launched a new car-sharing application on Aug. 17 and announced that it will be conducting a pilot testing program with Servco Pacific Inc., a Toyota dealer in Hawaii. During the pilot program, the service will be used by employees only, after which it will be made available to the public in...
Toyota Upwardly Revises Projections for 2017 on Back of Strong First Quarter
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) upwardly revised its earnings forecast on Aug. 4 for the full business year ending in March 2018. The company’s total sales forecast is now 28.5 trillion yen ($257.33 billion), a 1 trillion yen increase from previous estimates. Operating profit is now forecast at 1.85 trillion yen and net profit at 1.75...
Toyota and Mazda to Build $1.6B Production Plant in US, Partner up on EV Development
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) and Mazda Motor Corp. (TYO:7261) announced on Aug. 4 that they have signed an agreement to enter into a business and capital agreement. Under the alliance, the two Japanese automakers will establish a JV in the U.S. with a production capacity of 300,000 units and work together on electric vehicle (EV)...
Toyota and Microsoft Launch Interactive Viewing Experience for World Rally Championship
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) and Microsoft Corp. have announced the launch of EchoCam, an interactive viewing experience for the World Rally Championship’s Neste Rally Finland 2017, which is being held July 27–30. During the event, spectators can go to special locations to take photos of the Yaris WRC as it passes by. Spectators who upload...
Hitachi Provides Toyota With Machine Learning Service for Patent Data Analysis
Hitachi Ltd. (TYO:6501) announced on July 20 that it will provide Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) with the patent analysis option of its Shareresearch service starting from Aug. 21. The upgrade will allow Toyota to automatically sort patent information using machine learning technology, reducing the workload required for analysis. Tokyo-based Nisseicom Ltd. will be in charge...
Toyoda Gosei Develops New Side Airbag With Three-Bag Structure
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) announced on July 19 that it has developed a new side airbag with Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203). The new side airbag serves to reduce impact on the chest, abdomen and elsewhere, resulting in high marks under stringent collision safety assessment tests in the U.S. and Europe. The product has been...
Nissan Makes Full-Fledged Effort to Increase EV Sales in China
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7201) has announced a full-fledged effort to increase its sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in China, developing new SUV and sedan EVs exclusively for the Chinese market. In addition to introducing these new EV models as Nissan brands in 2018, the company will also add local Chinese brand, Venucia, to its...
Toyota and Kanagawa Prefecture Team up on Hydrogen Project
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203), Toyota Industries Corp. (TYO:6201) and Kanagawa Prefecture recently announced the July 13 full-scale launch of a demonstration project to supply wind power-generated hydrogen to fuel cell forklifts. Using the premises of the Yokohama City Wind Power Station, the group has installed manufacturing equipment that uses this renewable energy to create low-carbon...
Toyota Launches Fully Redesigned Camry – First Time in Six Years
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) launched a newly designed Camry in Japan on July 10, marking the first time in six years that the global midsize sedan has undergone a full redesign. Monthly sales have been set at a target of 2,400 units, around triple last year’s figure. While Toyota is particularly strong in the sedan...
Toyota Unveils All-New Lexus LS Featuring Advanced Safety System
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) on June 26 debuted its all-new Lexus LS, slated to be launched in Japan this autumn. Toyota Senior Managing Officer Kiyotaka Ise said that the new Lexus LS was developed to be the safest vehicle in the world, and emphasized that it is intended to serve as a model of things...
ISID Develops 3D Vehicle Data Sharing System Using VR Technology
Information Services International-Dentsu Ltd. (TYO:4812), commonly referred to as ISID, announced on June 20 that it has developed a prototype remote 3D vehicle data sharing system using virtual reality (VR) technology for Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203). This system will allow people in remote locations to communicate and share full-size vehicle models over the internet. Toyota...
Toyota Names Google and Apple as Rivals at Shareholder Meeting
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) held its 113th annual general meeting of shareholders at the company’s headquarters in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture on June 14. The Japanese automaker’s president, Akio Toyoda, said the company will need to consider various options in the future, including M&A deals. He also said Toyota will take an aggressive stance to raise...
Prius Climbs Back to Top New Car Sales for First Time in Three Months
Toyota Motor Corp’s (TYO:7203) Prius reclaimed the top spot in May for best-selling vehicle among those with engine displacement above and below 660 cc. It is the first time in three months that the Prius has retaken the lead, with the new model Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV) launched in February contributing to the boosted sales....
Toyota Unveils Lexus Pleasure Boat Prototype, Lays Out Sport Yacht Concept
Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) recently unveiled its Lexus Sport Yacht Concept prototype boat for the first time in Japan. The model is the first pleasure boat under the automaker’s luxury brand, Lexus. Speaking at the Tokyo presentation for the new boat, Senior Managing Officer Shigeki Tomoyama talked of Toyota’s intention to leverage what it has...
