New Cars Company: Japan

Toyota May See Production Diminished by 500,000 Cars because of the Earthquake

The shortage of parts and electricity problems in Japan in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake may delay the production of at least 500,000 Toyota vehicles, according to market research company Advanced Research Japan.

The world's largest carmaker may subsequently see its operating profit drop by at least 100 billion yen ($1.2 billion) in the 2010 fiscal year (ending March 31 2011) and up to 200 billion yen in the 2011 fiscal year. Auto analyst Koji Endo says any impact on production destined for export will affect earnings even more. “Hardly any cars will be built in April and a very low level of production will continue from May,” Endo was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Toyota said it lost 140,000 units of production from March 14 to March 26, when it closed all 18 plants in Japan due to a shortage of electronic parts, rubber and plastics. The carmaker resumed building three models at two factories on March 24, with the company giving priority to hybrid vehicles, including the Prius best-seller. Toyota was able to resume hybrid production using remaining inventory and parts from suppliers who have recovered.

Starting this summer, Japanese manufacturers will see their power supply cut by around 15 percent, as the earthquake knocked out generators, with production to be further affected. Toyota built 3.28 million cars in Japan in 2010.

The other two major Japanese carmakers also admitted production delays, with Nissan saying it couldn't build 55,000 units this month, while Honda estimated a loss of 46,600 units between March 14 and April 3.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Bloomberg

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Wald International Tricks Out BMW’s Latest 5-Series F10 Sedan

Noted Japanese tuning house Wald International is preparing its first customization take on the latest BMW 5-Series sedan. Details are still scant as this is a project in the works, but the Wald-modified 5-Series Sports Line Black Bison Edition gets a collection of aero body pieces made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

The exterior kit includes a new front bumper design with additional air vents and LED daytime lights, along with bespoke side skirts, a beefy rear apron housing a diffuser and the firm’s familiar exhaust tail pipe design, and a fixed boot lid spoiler. A new set of multispoke alloy wheels complete the look.

If Wald International’s previous Black Bison projects are anything to go by, customers should also expect a sports suspension kit and an assortment of interior parts such as a sport steering wheel and carbon-fiber trim. We’ll have more details on the tune as soon as Wald makes them available.

Source: Wald via Autoblog.nl

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New Video Footage from Japan’s Terrifying Tsunami

A new video clip showing the tremendous power of the tsunami that hit Japan after the 9.0 earthquake on March 11 has surfaced on Youtube. The video starts out with a mass of cars pushed over the road as the water creep ups towards the street and starts gaining momentum, eventually destroying everything in its path, including several buildings. Perhaps even scarier is the fact that the person behind the camera continued to roll despite the imminent danger all around him… Check out the clip in the video after the break.

VIDEO

Mazda, Honda Suspend U.S. Orders for Japan-Made Models

Mazda has suspended all US orders for cars built in Japan as the carmaker is preparing to shut down its plants once again after a short reopening period. According to the automaker’s American spokesman Jay Amestoy, the decision will affect shipments of cars that were due to arrive in the U.S. in May. The Mazda official added that it was uncertain when normal activity will resume.

Mazda USA imports almost all its range from the Japan, except the U.S.-built Mazda6 and Tribute. The models produced in Japan are the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5 / Miata, RX-8, CX7 and CX9. Mazda halted production at its Hiroshima and Hofu plants from March 14 through March 21, but three days ago, it resumed temporary production using parts it had in its inventory.

Starting from Monday, however, the factories will be shut down once again. Mazda says its U.S. sales won't be affected since its American subsidiary has enough cars in stock. In 2010, Mazda imported from Japan 83 percent of the cars sold in the U.S.

Honda also announced this week that it suspended U.S. dealer orders for vehicles imported from Japan, including the Fit, CR-V, Insight, CR-Z, Civic Hybrid, Acura TSX and Acura RL. Nissan said it would reduce its planned allocation for May by half, with the other half to be released when its Japanese factories confirm the vehicles will be ready. Toyota and Mitsubishi have not suspended dealer orders.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Autonews

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Source Code: Toyota Fights to Limit ECU Code Viewing in Legal Battle

Could Toyota's source code hold the answer to its sudden acceleration problems? Possibly, and it's currently working with attorneys to smooth out how this code will be analyzed in its ongoing unintended acceleration legal woes.

For those of you too fried to remember, Toyota had a bit of a flub a couple years ago regarding unintended acceleration in some of its vehicles; the problems were originally blamed on floor mats, poorly designed pedals, and driver error.

Currently, plaintiffs and their attorneys are still fighting for a proper explanation and compensation even though "the [U.S.] government's comprehensive review of Toyota's source code found no electronic causes of [unintended acceleration] in Toyota vehicles."

Plaintiffs' attorneys believe there may be some flaws in the code that could have led to the accidents, but Toyota is working hard to prevent people from getting their grubby mitts on its "crown jewel". Any viewing of the code would need to take place in a Pentagon-style safe room, and those involved would have to submit to palm and iris scans. Really.

In addition, software-related info would also have to wear RFID (radio frequency identification) tags to prevent any cats from getting out of any bags. Toyota was initially hoping to limit access to the code, which attorney Donald Slavik says is like performing a safety demonstration by taking a car's "fender and throw[ing] it against a wall...What we're going to be doing is something akin to crash testing a car. You need the whole car."

According to both sides a compromise is almost at hand. Expect more info as the law dives deeper into the world of automotive programming.

By Phil Alex

Source: WSJ

Subaru Also Extends Production Halt at all Car Plants in Japan

The situation in Japan for the country’s automobile industry appears to be much worse than originally believed with many carmakers struggling to resume domestic output following the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that killed thousands of people and damaged factories as well as infrastructure.

Following yesterday’s announcement from Toyota, Subaru said today that it will extend closures at all five of its automobile assembly plants in Japan until Monday, March 28. The automaker’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) had previously announced its production suspension until March 24.

On a separate note, the company said that it restarted production of parts for overseas production on Wednesday, March 23 and production of spare parts on Thursday, March 24, with some components available for production.

Analysts Predict Expensive Fuel and Factory Shortages Could See Prius Price Rise

There’s an old saying that goes, “One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity,” that I think is particularly apt in describing this latest story. With the civil war in Libya nudging petrol prices skyward and with the growing fear that Japan’s earthquake crisis will slow production of Toyota’s ubiquitous Prius hybrid, American consumers are flocking to their nearest dealership to snatch one up.

Tammy Darvish, the owner of four Toyota dealerships around Washington D.C. explains: “A lot of customers are convinced that prices will be going up and that availability [of the Prius] will be a little short.”

A Texas Toyota dealer is reporting that his sales have doubled in the last six weeks due to steadily increasing fuel prices. And with no U.S. factory producing the popular hybrid five-door, it’s not like there’s a backup supply if things become more pear shaped in the land of the rising sun.

February sales are up 27% from the month before, and nearly 75% more than this time last year at the height of the brand’s PR damaging unintended acceleration debacle. Though neither its Prius assembly nor two of its three battery plants were damaged in the earthquakes that hit Japan’s Hanshin industrial region last week, production at all Japan-based Toyota plants has been halted until at least next week due to, “prioritization and electric power availability”.

Toyota North America is assuring customers that supplies are adequate at the moment, though, “customers may need to check a number of dealers and may not find exactly the color and equipment they want”.

Edmunds have noted a 3% nationwide increase in Toyota Prius prices in the last few weeks, though dealers are not yet expecting as big a spike as was felt during the 2008 semi-fuel crisis. Carscoop will keep abreast of this issue and post any updates we receive in the coming weeks.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: FT

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Toyota Postpones Prius V Launch in Japan after Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis

The latest victim of the ongoing crisis in Japan is the new minivan version of the Prius as Toyota announced today that it has decided to postpone launch of the car at its home market. “No decision has been made at this time on when the launch will be rescheduled,” Toyota said in a statement.

Despite the delay in Japan, Toyota said that the North American version of the Prius V, which is scheduled to launch at the end of summer 2011, remains on track. “No decision has been made in regards to a possible need to change the launch timing,” Toyota said.

The world largest automaker unveiled the Prius V minivan with five-seats at this year’s edition of the Detroit motor show in January. It was followed by the European market Prius+ featuring three rows of seats for seven passengers at the Geneva Salon in early March. It is believed that Japan will (eventually) get both the five- and seven-seat versions of the Prius minivan.

The disaster in northern Japan has created severe problems to Toyota as the company recently extended the vehicle-production halt that began on March 14 at all of its plants in the country through March 26.

NORTH AMERICAN TOYOTA PRIUS V