Latest news with #AkioToyoda
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla (TSLA) Doubles Down in Japan after Sales Grow by 70%
EV maker Tesla (TSLA) is planning to more than double its number of stores in Japan from 23 to 50 by the end of 2026, according to a report by Nikkei. More specifically, the company hopes to open seven additional stores by the end of this year and add another 20 locations next year. While Tesla has mainly relied on online sales in Japan, it now plans to expand its physical presence with directly operated stores in shopping and business centers. Along with more stores, Tesla also wants to expand its fast-charging network, which currently includes 130 stations across the country. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Interestingly, though, to make charging even more convenient, Tesla will begin supporting Japan's CHAdeMO fast-charging standard, which previously didn't work with its vehicles. As a result, a new adapter will allow Tesla drivers to use both Tesla Superchargers and CHAdeMO stations. This move comes as sales in Japan continue to grow, with Tesla deliveries rising by 70% year-over-year in the first half of 2025 to around 4,600 vehicles. It is worth noting that CEO Elon Musk previously said that Tesla wants to match the market share of German luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz (MBGAF), which sold over 53,000 vehicles in Japan last year. Despite Tesla's growth, overall electric vehicle adoption in Japan remains slow. In the first half of 2025, battery electric vehicle sales fell by 7% to around 27,000 units. This is because Japanese consumers tend to prefer domestic brands, and local automakers have been slower to release EVs. Indeed, Toyota (TM) chairman Akio Toyoda recently said that one EV creates as much pollution as three hybrids and argued that Toyota's 27 million hybrids have reduced emissions more effectively. What Is the Prediction for Tesla Stock? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 13 Buys, 13 Holds, and nine Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $293.38 per share implies 6.5% downside risk.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
WRC legend Juha Kankkunen to drive hydrogen Toyota rally car
Four-time WRC world champion and Toyota deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen will pilot the latest hydrogen-powered rally car from Toyota at Rally Finland. The GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept will make its debut on the Harju stage of the event, which runs from 31 July until 3 August. The car has been extensively developed at the Toyota WRC team's headquarters in Jyvaskyla, Finland, and is based around its current GR Yaris Rally2 car – albeit fitted with an internal combustion engine fuelled by compressed hydrogen. Advertisement Toyota previously showcased the technology in the WRC at Ypres Rally Belgium in 2022, when Kankkunen and then Toyota president Akio Toyoda jumped behind the wheel. Since then, the concept has undergone further development to create the current iteration of the car, which will make its debut in Finland. Toyota has heavily invested in developing hydrogen-powered race cars as one of the options for the future of motorsport in a carbon neutral society. The Japanese car maker has been competing with hydrogen-powered cars since 2021 when it raced a modified Corolla in the Super Taikyu series in Japan, with Toyota's WRC team principal Jari-Matti Latvala among the roster of drivers. Last month, Toyota unveiled a hydrogen-powered prototype test car as the next step on its road to racing with the alternative fuel at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Juha Kankkunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Juha Kankkunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT The GR LH2 has been built at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe in the German city of Cologne around a chassis from its GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar. No details of the engine or hybrid system, which have been developed at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre in Japan, were revealed. Advertisement In addition to the debut of the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept, Toyota will field a standard GR Yaris Rally2 for Latvala to contest his home event in Finland. The 18-time WRC rally winner contested the WRC2 class at the event last year, piloting a Toyota to second in class and sixth overall. 'I'm really excited to make my 20th Rally Finland start, driving the GR Yaris Rally2 together with Janni Hussi,' said Latvala. 'It's Finnish rally tradition to mark a big birthday by entering our home event, so thank you Akio Toyoda for allowing me to realise this special achievement in the year I turned 40. 'It's also a chance for me to stay sharp at the wheel of a modern rally car as I provide my feedback into the development of this and other cars for TGR-WRT.' Read Also: Toyota unveils hydrogen-powered test car at Le Mans 24 Hours Toyota to race hydrogen car alongside existing hypercar in 2028 WEC To read more articles visit our website.
IOL News
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Unleashing the thrill: experience the V8 Ford Mustang Dark Horse's performance and design
The Ford Mustang Dark horse has a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine pushing out 334kW and 540Nm. Image: Supplied There's something deeply satisfying about starting up a naturally aspirated V8 petrol-fueled engine. It's even more so when it's slotted under the long bonnet of a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, which sounds grumpy even when in quiet mode. I've had my fair share of exposure to the iconic American Pony Car over the years, including a first drive of the Dark Horse at the Charlotte Speedway in America, which is considered the home of Nascar. It's difficult to describe the feeling of climbing up the embankment of the famous oval with the side of the big sportscar only a foot or two away from the wall. It's both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time but without a doubt one of the highlights of my career. Ford Performance I also love the fact that Ford has thrown its full weight behind almost every aspect of motor racing that includes WRC, Nascar, Le Mans, Pikes Peak hillclimb in an electric Mustang and will be the engine supplier for the Red Bull Racing F1 team next year. I mean, when Ford CEO Jim Farley races in the inaugural Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational, you know it's more than just lip service. That's what you get with a boss who has racing fuel in his veins and understands what exciting cars are about. It's the same for Toyota with their range of GR products. Their Chairman, Akio Toyoda, actually races the products which explains a lot. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is out and out a Pony Car. Image: Supplied V8 engine Which brings us back to the track-focused Mustang Dark horse in all its thunderous glory with its 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine with dual throttle body intake design that's been modified with piston connecting rods pushing out 334kW and 540Nm. Power is sent to the rear wheels via Ford's software-updated 10-speed automatic transmission with a Torsen rear differential and a manual option to switch gears via paddle shifters. The tyres are staggered with Pirelli P Zero high-performance 255/40 R19 tyres in front and 275/40 R19 at the rear to cope with the power. Exterior With the Dark Horse being a track focussed car they've fitted it with a set of brake cooling ducts to keep the 390mm Brembo brakes (the rear discs are also ventilated) with six-piston calipers cool, an auxiliary engine oil cooler, a rear axle cooler, a lightweight radiator with improved cooling and more powerful cooling fans. Giving it a more menacing appearance, it has a unique grille and black trim under the headlights, a forward-facing wild horse badge on the front bumpers, with a raised rear wing on the boot. There's no cookie-cutter, same-same design here, this is out and out a Mustang Pony Car and not even the most casual observer would mistake it for anything else. Even after 60 years of production, it still turns heads wherever it goes and it received an enthusiastic thumbs up and broad smiles across all genders, colours and ages. Interior The interior has also been updated to the 21st century. It has a thicker flat-bottomed suede-wrapped steering wheel with Bright Indigo Blue accent stitching with all the usual buttons and switches, including an easy-to-reach drive mode button. The 12.4-inch instrument cluster is fully digital allowing you to customise it to your preferred setting including historic Mustang clusters and a track set-up, flowing into a 13.2-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen infotainment system angled towards the driver. There's contrasting blue stitching across the door panels and seats, gear shift gaiter and centre console and the interior trim, bezels and vents have dark metallic gloss. Sliding behind the wheel of the low-slung Dark Horse and feeling the vibrations of the V8 through the seats provides an air of anticipation. The 12.4-inch instrument cluster is fully digital allowing you to customise it to your preferred setting including historic Mustang clusters and a track set-up. Image: Supplied Dynamic driving A loud cold start-up slows down to a rumble as you ease the long nose forward. Talking of that, it's not easy to gauge your distance when manoeuvring into tight spaces, and front park distance control would have been a welcome addition. With its distinctive soundtrack, previous Mustangs have always been fun to drive albeit rather vague with its steering and its innate ability to either understeer or oversteer when pushed hard. It's not the case with the Dark Horse, it is, I suppose, a horse of a different colour. The steering is sharp and precise and hard cornering can be done with confidence. At 1 837kg and 4 799cm long, it's impressive what the engineers have done to combine chassis, suspension, sway bars and steering into something resembling a racing car. It's still a handful, though with the rear wheels propelling you forward and at high speeds, you need to have your wits about you, especially with strong cross winds. Left in automatic, the gearbox provides smooth changes although there's no hard thumping your body into the seat through the first three gears as perhaps you would expect. Still, it's no slouch with our colleagues at Car Magazine recording a 0-100km/h time of 4.49 seconds. Using the paddles, the Dark Horse provides a more engaging drive when heading towards the red line, allowing you to shift up and down with the exhaust providing extra blips and bangs. Dial it down and the American muscle car becomes a fully-fledged GT car. It will comfortably take you to your destination with heated or ventilated seats cruising in 10th gear with no exhaust rumble to distract you from listening to music on the B&O Sound System. With naturally aspirated V8 engines becoming ever more scarce, the Ford Mustang and especially the Dark Horse stand out as beacons of hope. At R1 523 500 its dynamic handling, thundering grin-inducing exhaust notes, iconic history, and the smile it puts on people's faces, is reason enough to want one.
Auto Blog
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Toyota Wants Its Dealers To Sell Ford And Other American Brands
Extreme Measures To Dodge Tariffs The pricing pressure caused by the introduction of tariffs, particularly those on imported cars, is leading some automakers to unconventional solutions. One such solution, reports Japanese publication The Mainichi, is that proposed by Toyota chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima, who suggested in May (during a meeting with Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba) that his company could help American brands sell their cars directly through Toyota dealerships. 'When U.S. manufacturers bring cars to Japan, for example, using Toyota's sales network to deliver them is an option,' he said. Another option is to export American-made cars from Japanese brands back to Japan. Why Toyota Could Sell American These ideas could help reduce the United States' trade deficit with the Asian country, which would theoretically make tariffs redundant. If President Trump were to agree, he may subsequently reduce or remove those tariffs, which are projected to add four figures to the price of your next car. Notably, recent reports have suggested that Europe sees higher tariffs being approved, which has led to claims that brands like Audi may move some production to U.S. facilities, and Toyota itself is on the verge of raising prices, though it did not blame tariffs for the adjustments. Both Japan and Europe would love to make a deal, and Nakajima-san's idea isn't the only radical one being presented. Mercedes CEO Also Wants To Balance Global Trade Source:Earlier this month, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius suggested that the European Union could allow U.S.-built cars to be imported duty-free. In return, the U.S. could waive tariffs on an equal number of vehicles exported by EU automakers to America. 'For every car that leaves the USA or Europe, a car from the other side comes in duty-free,' Källenius told Der Spiegel. 'We have put this idea to both sides, and it is a possible component of the negotiations between the USA and the EU.' The CEO also pointed out that his company (among many other foreign automakers) exports plenty of cars built on American shores, and he feels this should not be overlooked. 'Two-thirds of the vehicles from our plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are exported to 150 countries worldwide,' he said. 'We therefore contribute to a more balanced trade balance for the USA. We believe this should be taken into account in the negotiations.' Source: Toyota About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
The Irish Sun
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
World's first AI minister to govern in Dubai and oversee ALL state companies in dystopian vision of the future
ARTIFICIAL intelligence is becoming more sophisticated every year, and many people are anxious about robots taking over their jobs. But one Middle Eastern country is taking this to a whole new level, bringing AI right into the heart of its government. 3 The United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet Credit: Alamy 3 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday Credit: AFP 3 Artificial intelligence robot looking at futuristic digital data display Credit: Getty Numerous jobs from customer service to data entry are often seen as at risk to being lost to machines in the near Yet even government ministers may soon have to worry about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. From next year, the United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet. This will mark the first time in world history that artificial intelligence has had a seat at a nation's top table. read more in tech The National Artificial Intelligence System will serve as an advisory member of the UAE's cabinet. This system is expected to help oversee all of the oil-rich nation's state companies. Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday. He began a lengthy X post with some more routine government announcements. Most read in Tech These included the establishment of a Ministry of Foreign Trade and a name change to the Ministry of Economy to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. But then the Dubai ruled shared the jaw-dropping news than an AI system would be brought into the fold. Chilling new vid shows world-first 'synthetic human' dubbed Protoclone twitch into life as it flexes its spindly fingers He posted: "We also announce that the National Artificial Intelligence System will be adopted as an advisory member of the Cabinet, the Ministerial Development Council, and all boards of directors of federal entities and government companies, starting in January 2026. "The goal is to support decision-making in these councils, conduct immediate analyses of their decisions, provide technical advice, and enhance the efficiency of government policies adopted by these councils across all sectors. "The world is going through a comprehensive restructuring phase, scientifically, economically, and socially. "And our goal is to prepare today for the coming decades. "Our goal is to ensure continued prosperity and a decent life for future generations." It comes amid a big drive by the UAE to be a top player the field of AI. The country's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 aims to make the country a global leader in the field by that year. The UAE is not the only country looking to further integrate AI into day-to-day life. A "We are building a city where everything, people, buildings, vehicles, is connected through sensors and AI," Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota's Board of Directors, has said previously. "It's a unique opportunity to create a living digital operating system for urban life."
