News On Japan

Honda to Spend $65 Billion on EVs, Self-Driving Tech

May 16, 2024 (NHK) - Honda Motor says it will invest 10 trillion yen or roughly 65 billion dollars in electric vehicles and software for self-driving technology through fiscal 2030.

Mibe Toshihiro, President and Representative Executive Officer of Honda Motor, said, "Our main objective is to prepare for the medium and long term by building strong EV brands and business models. And we're doing that with an eye on the period when EVs will become more common in the late 2020s and beyond."

The Japanese automaker has said that by 2040, EVs and fuel cell vehicles will make up 100 percent of its sales. Mibe says that target hasn't changed.

Honda plans to launch a new EV series from 2026 and sell seven models worldwide by 2030.

The company also aims to strengthen its battery development and supply systems. It wants to reduce procurement costs in North America by more than 20 percent.

In Canada, Honda hopes to cut production costs at a dedicated EV plant by about 35 percent. The factory is expected to go online in 2028.

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Train stations, airports and expressways were crowded on August 16 as travelers returned from vacations and hometown visits on the final day of the Obon holiday.

The death toll from record-breaking torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture has risen to 10, with 29 people injured, more than 1,500 homes damaged and one person still missing three days after the disaster.

A 12-year-old British girl who disappeared while visiting Japan with her family was found safe in Yokohama on Saturday night, about 59 hours after leaving their private lodging in Tokyo, with police saying there was no indication that she had been involved in a crime.

More than 1,200 vehicles are believed to have been left stranded on roads across Chiba Prefecture after torrential rain caused widespread flooding, with authorities confirming eight deaths and investigating a drainage pump failure at an underpass where a man died.

Japan's weather agency raised the volcanic alert level for Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture from Level 2 to Level 3 on August 14 after volcanic tremors strengthened and gas emissions increased sharply, warning people to stay away from areas within about 2 kilometers of the Nakadake No. 1 crater.

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BYD is making its most ambitious push yet into Japan with the Racco, a purpose-built electric kei car developed in roughly two years for a segment unique to the Japanese market, as the Chinese automaker seeks to turn three years of difficult sales growth into a durable presence in one of the world’s most demanding auto markets.

A new Japanese-made high-speed train developed for Taiwan arrived in the southern city of Kaohsiung on August 15, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in July 2027.

Commercial and industrial damage from the Kumamoto earthquake has already reached 117.6 billion yen, while continuing water outages are preventing many businesses from reopening.

An Okinawa dairy farming family is working to protect local milk production as soaring feed and utility costs, extreme summer heat and reduced demand during the school vacation place growing pressure on an industry that has seen the number of farms fall sharply over the past four decades.

Tokyo stocks rose on August 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 68,714, up 0.59%, as investors continued buying semiconductor, artificial intelligence and earnings-backed shares, while the broader TOPIX gained 0.51% to 4,197 and reached another record high.

Rakuten Securities held an event for parents and children at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on August 13 to teach families about building assets ahead of the launch of the new Junior NISA program in January 2027.

Google opened its first flagship store in Japan in Tokyo's Omotesando district at 2 p.m. on August 13, marking the company's first flagship retail location outside the United States.

Tokyo stocks rose on August 13, with the Nikkei 225 advancing to 68,601.21, up 1.6%, as semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares followed Wall Street higher, while the broader TOPIX climbed to a record high despite continued concern over wholesale inflation, the yen and Bank of Japan rate-hike expectations.