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Toyota asks suppliers to reduce emissions

Toyota Motor Corp has asked its parts suppliers to reduce carbon emissions, the company said last week. Japan's largest carmaker, which plans to be carbon neutral by 2050, has also provided a target to suppliers to achieve carbon neutrality, a Toyota spokeswoman said. "Carbon neutrality is not something a company can achieve alone, so we asked our suppliers to work together toward achieving it," she said.

Japanese chipmaker recovering from fire

A fire-damaged Japanese factory that supplies many of the auto industry's computer chips is producing about 88 percent of what it was making before the March blaze, its owner says. Renesas Electronics Corp said last week that replacements for fire-damaged equipment arrived on May 27, and should be running in mid-June. This would allow the company to return to full production. The March 19 fire and a worldwide shortage of computer chips have wreaked havoc on auto industry production schedules. It has forced companies to cut production and allocate scarce chips to higher-margin models.

India's auto sales fall due to COVID-19

Indian automakers reported a sharp decline of 38-71 percent in sales in May as demand took a hit from a second wave of COVID-19, according to corporate filing by companies with the Bombay Stock Exchange last week. India's largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, reported a 71 percent decline to 46,555 units in May. Meanwhile, Mahindra recorded a 52 percent plunge to 17,447 units and Tata Motors witnessed a 38 percent drop to 24,552 units over the month.

Hongqi brand selling well over five months

Hongqi, an automobile brand under China's leading automaker FAW Group, posted rising sales in the first five months of the year. A total of 118,000 Hongqi-branded vehicles were sold from January to May, up 116 percent year-on-year, according to FAW Group. The group plans to double its 2020 sales of Hongqi vehicles to 400,000 units this year. The brand has rolled out multiple high-end models as well as new energy vehicles.

Semiconductor project approved

Japan has signed off a $338 million semiconductor research project to develop cutting-edge chip technology in the country with the market-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Taiwan province's chipmaking plants are among the largest and most advanced in the world. The project is intended to boost Japan's competitiveness in a key sector. The move comes as the industry grapples with a global semiconductor shortage that has hampered the manufacturing of numerous products, particularly cars.

Tesla recalls 6,000 vehicles over brakes

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has initiated a recall of nearly 6,000 vehicles in the United States to inspect brake calipers for loose bolts. The recall, made public last week, involves as many as 5,974 cars from the 2019-21 Model 3 and 2020-21 Model Y lines. "The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim," according to a document sent by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to Tesla.

Agencies - Motoring