Automobiles

CATL controls almost 40% of the global market for automotive batteries. (Photo courtesy of CATL)
Electric cars in China

China battery giant CATL's profit surges 93% on booming demand

Margin pressure on EV batteries raises concerns as lithium costs increase

11 March 2023
Mitsubishi Motors plans to launch 16 new models over the next five years. Twelve will be launched in the Southeast Asian region, of which seven will be electric vehicles.
Automobiles

Mitsubishi Motors to invest $12bn in green cars by 2030

Japanese automaker aims to 'double' revenue from Southeast Asia

10 March 2023
Shinsuke Minami, who is set to become Isuzu's president and chief operating officer on April 1, will be the company's first change of president in about eight years.
Automobiles

Isuzu to make executive Shinsuke Minami president and COO

Incumbent President Masanori Katayama to become chairman and CEO

10 March 2023
Hitachi has teamed up with Nissan in developing a system to supply electricity from EV batteries to run elevators and other equipment in the event of a disaster.
Technology

Hitachi offers EV dispatch system to blackout-hit areas

Vehicle batteries will supply electricity to evacuation centers after disasters

9 March 2023
A new service by Japanese startup Fomm to replace vehicle engines with motors and add a battery is expected to see wide take-up by delivery companies.
Automobiles

Japan startup to convert gasoline vans into battery-swap EVs

Fomm offers battery swap service for small vans owned by delivery companies

7 March 2023
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is pushing for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at condo parking lots. (Photo by Naoyuki Kozuki)
Climate Change

Tokyo wants 150 times as many EV chargers at apartments in 2030

Residential charging seen as key to Japanese capital's electrification goal

7 March 2023
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, second from left, Indonesia's coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, and Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, second from right, meet reporters in Jakarta on March 6. (Photo courtesy of Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment)
Transportation

Indonesia unveils EV subsidies to woo Tesla, BYD

Government aims to create market attractive to global EV makers

6 March 2023
The bullish case for Delta rests on the company's plans to double its EV business as EV makers BYD, Great Wall Motor, and Tesla make inroads in Thailand. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

EV boom creates unlikely stock market star in Thailand

Thai subsidiary of Taiwan's Delta Electronics becomes kingdom's most valuable company

6 March 2023
Sales of passenger new energy vehicles in China increased 9% to 546,000 from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19. Beijing will renew incentives encouraging residents to replace fossil fuel vehicles with NEVs.
Caixin

Chinese local governments roll out incentives for car buyers

Short-term consumption boost expected but long-term demand may hit a wall

3 March 2023
Lingniu Hydrogen Energy Technology, a Chinese logistics tech startup that operates hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, has raised $7.3 million. (Photo courtesy of the company)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese startup pushes for green logistics with hydrogen cars

Lingniu Hydrogen Energy has raised $7.3m to build world's 1st green container port

3 March 2023
A John Deere exhibit at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Photo by Takafumi Hotta)
Technology

John Deere, Caterpillar spearhead machinery tech transformation

Self-driving seeding machines and mining trucks backed by data-driven innovation

3 March 2023
SiEngine Technology is headquartered in Wuhan, with research and development centers in Beijing and Shanghai. (Screenshot from SiEngine's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Chinese chipmaker SiEngine raises another $72m

Automotive chip producer using funds to boost output

2 March 2023
The arrival of VinFast electric vehicles means Vietnamese cars are hitting U.S. pavement for the first time. (Photo courtesy of Vingroup)
Automobiles

VinFast delivers EVs to U.S. drivers in first for Vietnamese maker

Vietnam's biggest company enters tepid market that is hitting rivals Tesla, Rivian

2 March 2023
Incoming Toyota CEO Koji Sato, center, and other executives on Feb. 13: The carmaker's management team is experiencing the innovator's dilemma. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)
Opinion

Toyota is going electric, but new CEO must step on the gas

Tesla's success in California should jolt Japanese carmaker into action

2 March 2023
China seeks to support the growth of the electric vehicle industry through tax measures. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Electric cars in China

China weighs extending EV tax break beyond 2023

Beijing aims to create self-sufficient auto industry that helps economy grow

2 March 2023
Chief Technology Officer of Continental's automotive group Gilles Mabire: "We want to be recognized in China to be a partner of choice." (Photo courtesy of Continental)
Automobiles

China 'most advanced' for testing self-drive: Continental tech chief

German auto parts giant takes 'local approach' to avoid political risks

1 March 2023
Employees assemble Moskvich vehicles at a plant formerly operated by Renault in Moscow.
Ukraine war

Chinese cars, phones gain ground in Russia's sanctions-hit economy

3 Chinese auto brands grab 16% of shrinking market as global carmakers exit

28 February 2023
A worker installs seats at a Nissan Motor assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. 
Automobiles

Nissan to spend $250m on U.S. plant to boost EV motor production

Japanese automaker eyes subsidies for American-made electrics

28 February 2023
(Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Automobiles

Amazon leads other U.S. tech giants in driving patent applications

New alliances with big carmakers expected as the internet and autos converge

27 February 2023
A Nissan Leaf electric car and portable battery are displayed at Nissan Gallery in Yokohama, Japan, on Nov. 29, 2021. 
Automobiles

Nissan aims to electrify 98% of Europe sales, helped by Renault

Japanese automaker's goals raised globally, lowered for China

27 February 2023
A Nissan self-driving taxi in Suzhou, mounted with cameras and sensors. (Photo by Noriyuki Doi) 
Automobiles

Nissan to start robotaxi tests in China's Suzhou in March

Automaker says it will be 1st from Japan to provide self-driving services to China

25 February 2023
The space and comfort offered by SUVs are luring more buyers in India, one of the world's largest auto markets. (Nikkei montage/AP and Getty Images) 
Business Spotlight

India's surging SUV demand fueled by rough roads and big families

Sport utility vehicles overtake hatchbacks in accelerating auto market

24 February 2023
BYD Japan said hexavalent chromium was included in an anti-rust treatment for nuts and bolts used in electric buses. (Image courtesy of the company)
Automobiles

BYD acknowledges using toxic chemical in electric buses for Japan

Hexavalent chromium poses no health hazard but use will end, company says

24 February 2023
A toxic substance in BYD-produced electric buses is causing headaches for bus operators in Japan.
Automobiles

BYD's electric bus sale canceled by Hino due to toxic chemical

Japan transit operators reassess use of Chinese-made vehicle

22 February 2023
A man looks under the hood of a NIO ES8 sports utility electric vehicle. (Photo by Shuhei Yamada)
Electric cars in China

Chinese EV matches luxury with cost-cutting guts, teardown shows

NIO's high-end ES8 uses same components as more affordable models, but offers perks

22 February 2023