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Japanese Perspective (September 2008)
Japanese Auto Industry Gears Towards Eco Vehicles |
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1st-Month Orders for Mazda's Biante Minivan Top 6,000 Units |
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Mazda Motor Corp. said that, orders for its Biante minivan have exceeded 6,000 units in
one month since its release recently.
The figure is more than double the model's monthly sales target.
Mazda said the Biante has won popularity thanks to its spacious interior, the largest among
minivans with 2,000-2,300 c.c. engines.
About 60 pct of the buyers are in their 30s and 40s and have small children, it said. |
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Japan Used Auto Sales Down for 28th Month |
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Sales of used automobiles in Japan in July, excluding mini vehicles with engine displacements
of up to 660 c.c., fell 2.2 pct from a year before to 365,227 units, losing ground for the 28th
straight month, an industry group said.
The sales figure was the lowest in 24 years for the month of July, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said, citing weak demand for automobiles and a decrease in the number of high-
quality, trade-in vehicles. |
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| Auto EV Japan Unveils Highly Efficient Electric Scooter |
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Electric automobile developer Auto EV Japan Co. has created an electric scooter equipped with
high-performance lithium ion batteries that uses just 0.5 yen worth of power for each kilometer traveled, one-fifth as much as typical scooters.
By improving electrode materials, the company was able to pare the number of cells needed
per battery to 4 from 15. As a result, the scooter will come with either a 12kg or 24kg battery,
a significant reduction from the 110kg battery used in the Girasole electric car the firm released
last year. Depending on the battery pack, the scooter can travel 30km or 60km on a two-hour
charge. |
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| Soaring costs has Toyota mulling Japan price hike |
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Soaring material costs has Toyota considering raising prices in Japan without a model
makeover for the first time in three decades, the Japanese automaker said.
Speculation has been rife Toyota Motor Corp. will be forced to announce higher prices in
Japan — a move even Toyota acknowledges could be critically damaging for an already
sluggish Japanese market.
With steel prices surging, Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn has hinted he is
waiting for its bigger rival to take the lead to make it easier for others to follow suit. |
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| Nissan ECO Pedal system to be commercialized by 2009 |
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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., unveiled the ECO Pedal – a world first technology – designed to assist
drivers to become more fuel-efficient. When the eco-pedal system is on, each time the driver
steps on the accelarator, a counter push-back control mechanism is activated if the system
detects excess pressure, helping to inform the driver that they could be using more fuel than
required. An eco-driving indicator integrated into the instrument panel feeds the driver with
real-time fuel consumption levels to help improve his/her driving behavior. The ECO Pedal
system can be turned on or off according to the driver’s preference. |
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| Mitsubishi plans plant to meet battery demand |
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The race for lithium ion batteries is heating up, with Mitsubishi Motors saying it will build a
plant to meet an expected fivefold increase in demand.
The factory will open after April 2009 and have an initial output of 200,000 battery cells a year,
or enough for 2,000 cars. Mitsubishi will ramp up capacity to equip 10,000 vehicles "shortly
afterward," amid higher hopes for its i MiEV electric vehicle, the company said in a statement.
Mitsubishi's new factory will be operated by Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture with GS Yuasa
and Mitsubishi. It will be in the western prefecture of Shiga.
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German Perspective (August 2008) |
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Germans Afraid of Expansion |
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The expansion of Eastern Europe has reaches an
extent, which appears impressive even to experts
on the car market. Stanley Root, for instance, who
is an analyst with PricewaterhouseCoopers: he has recently carried out a study concerning the east,
coming to the conclusion that Russia is about to
succeed Germany as Europe’s largest car market
– perhaps already by the end of this year.
The reason Root sees for this development is, that,
at present, East European people are buying vehicles like they have never done before. |
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Taking into account Russia’s sales figures and the economic forecasts made in the past, the
country’s triumph comes three years early.
Russia has come a long way and is moving forward very quickly“, Root stated. He further
concludes that the expansion of the Russian car market was a phenomenon that mirrored
the overall economic growth of the country, which is much faster and more voluminous that
in most of the western.
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ASEAN Autobiz Magazine
Grandprix International Co., Ltd.
Copyright 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved |
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