MONET Gains More Traction
MONET Technologies was established last February as a joint venture between SoftBank and Toyota to address three business domains: (1) on-demand mobility services; (2) data-analysis services; (3) autonomous vehicle mobility services (which they’re calling “Autono-MaaS,” with the “MaaS” being “Mobility as a Service”).
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
World’s Top Auto Brands Defend Their Rankings
Brands are forever jockeying for superiority over their rivals.
Jeep Diesels Face Ban in Europe
Jeep faces a partial sales ban in Europe unless it fixes diesel-powered Grand Cherokee SUVs that evade emission regulations.
Toyota Breaks Ground on Myanmar Plant
Toyota Motor Corp. will be the latest carmaker to assemble cars locally in Myanmar.
Veoneer Exits Braking JV
Veoneer Inc. has agreed to sell its 51% stake in a brake systems joint venture to partner Nissin-Kogyo Co. and Honda Motor Co. for $176 million.
Suzuki Predicts $1.3 Billion Loss as Sales Slide
Suzuki Motor Corp. warns that slumping sales in India will cut its net profit 22% to 140 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in the current fiscal year ending March 31.
India’s EV Market Going Nowhere
Demand for electric cars in India is barely moving and won’t accelerate until prices drop and the country’s network of charging stations expands dramatically, says Bloomberg News.
Toyota: Collaborate or . . . .
The number of auto companies that carry a family name and still have people of that name in important positions are Ford, Toyota and. . . ? Suzuki.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
Suzuki Readies Hybrid, Autonomous Concepts
Suzuki Motor Corp. will publicly unveil a pair of retro-styled concept vehicles later this month at the Tokyo auto show.
Car Sales Continue to Plummet in India
India’s top-three carmakers are reporting another round of double-digit sales declines for September, the eighth consecutive month of shrinkage.
UPDATE: Toyota Hikes Its Stake in Subaru
Toyota Motor Corp. is raising its stake in Subaru Corp. above 20% and will post a share of Subaru profits in its own financial reports.
Maruti Suzuki Cuts Prices as Indian Market Falls
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., India’s largest carmaker, is trimming prices 2% on 10 models in a bid to revive slumping sales.
New-Car Wholesales Plummet 41% in India
Factory shipments of new cars in India plunged 41% to a “very dismal” 115,000 units in August, according to final figures from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
Indian Carmakers Seek Tax Break as Sales Plunge
Car sales in India fell more than 30% in August, and manufacturers are pleading with the government for an immediate tax cut.
How Fast Can a Motorcycle Go?
While we’ve noted that the Bloodhound SSC is being prepared to run for a land speed record, it is worth noting that Triumph Motorcycles has announced that next month it plans to run for a record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
Toyota, Suzuki Expand Partnership
Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. have agreed to buy small equity stakes in each other as part of the expanding partnership between the Japanese carmakers.
Maruti Suzuki Predicts India Sales Revival
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. predicts that India’s slumping car market will revive in October-December after nine consecutive months of contraction.
Mahindra Sheds 1,500 Employees as Sales Sag
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. says it has eliminated 1,500 contract jobs in India since April and warns more layoffs are possible next month if sales continue to slide.
Ghana Tax Breaks Cinch Auto Plant Deals
Ghana has agreed to grant carmakers tax breaks for as long as 10 years if they open assembly plants in the country.
Suzuki Debuts Its First New Indian SUV in 35 Years
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is preparing to introduce its first new SUV model in India since the Gypsy mini-four-wheel-drive SUV debuted there in 1985.
Maruti Suzuki Drops Extra Shifts as Sales Slide
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., which controls half of India’s passenger car market, is likely to cut production to a single shift at all three of its factories, sources tell the Economic Times.
Suzuki Sells Millions of Swifts But Not in the U.S.
American Suzuki Motor Corporation—the car part of Suzuki, not the motorcycle, ATV and outboard motor producer and purveyor—filed for Chapter 11 in November 2012.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
Nippon Steel Plans $1.9 Billion Asset Sale
Nippon Steel Corp. intends to sell of 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in assets over the next two years to help it buy a 50% stake in Indian steelmaker Essar Steel India Ltd.
June Car Sales Fell 18% in India
Demand in India for passenger cars, SUV/crossovers and light vans dropped 18% to 225,700 units in June, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
Five More Japanese Carmakers Join Toyota-Softbank Venture
Monet Technologies Corp., the 8-month-old joint venture between Softbank and Toyota to develop autonomous ride-hailing and delivery services, has signed up five more Japanese carmakers.
India’s Auto Industry Cuts Production as Sales Sag
Carmakers in India are trimming output after wholesales plunged 20% to a five-year low of 239,300 units in May.
Toyota Accelerates Electrification Plans
Toyota Motor Corp. aims to sell 5.5 million electrified vehicles per year by 2025, which is five years earlier than the company previously targeted.
22 Brands Opt Out of Frankfurt Auto Show
This year’s Frankfurt auto show in September won’t include 22 vehicle brands, according to Automobilwoche.
