Japanese pride is at stake in the fight for top spot in green vehicles. The country's biggest car maker faces challenges from the US, China and domestic rivals
Mention green cars and the name that comes to the minds of many consumers is Toyota and its market-defining hybrid, the Prius.
And it's not only a winner for Toyota. The vehicle allows Japan to keep its technological cool and has given it hope that it won't always be stuck in the economic doldrums as neighbouring China, now the world's second-biggest economy, races ahead.
But for the world's top car maker there is the angst of being at the top with no way to go but down. To stay number one, the Japanese car giant will have to deploy the full array of its technological weaponry.
The Toyota boss Akio Toyoda need only look at Sony, the inventor of mobile music with its Walkman, to see how easy it is to become a byword in a technology you pioneered. Toyota is the Sony of green cars. The question for Mr Toyoda is, can it be the Apple too?
Competitors for Toyota's title are both home-grown and foreign. Among them is General Motors (GM), the company Toyota toppled to become the biggest car maker three years ago.
Having dropped high costs and the stranglehold of union rules that forced it to operate as a 1970s companies in the 21st century, the US car giant has chosen electric vehicles to do battle with Toyota.
Last November, GM announced plans to hire 1,000 engineers to expand its range of electric cars after launching its Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle with a Korean-built lithium battery and 1.4-litre engine the company says is cheaper to run than the petrol-sipping Prius.
It is a boast the US environmental protection agency agrees with, rating it with a capacity of 60 miles to the gallon compared with 51 for the Prius.
Bailed out with taxpayers' money, GM has even had a helping sales hand from the US President Barack Obama. In Europe last year for a Nato summit, Mr Obama made time to tout the Ampera, the name GM's European Opel subsidiary has given to the Volt.
At home Toyota, as always, contends with Honda, but it may face its toughest challenge from Nissan. The Renault-controlled car maker is hoping to grab Toyota's green crown with its Leaf electric car. It is a bolder idea than GM's because the car doesn't come with the crutch of a petrol engine and therefore must make it between sockets solely with the energy stored in its batteries.
As part of the marketing razzamatazz that Nissan and its boss, Carlos Ghosn, are renowned for, the company last month delivered its first Leaf to a technology entrepreneur in California, who plugged in his new car for the world's media.
But for Toyota, the biggest worry may be China's determination to lead the green car pack.
Still way behind the Japanese, the Americans and Europeans, Chinese companies such as SAIC Motor and Chery Automobile may make up for technological weakness with a helping hand from bureaucrats who are able to control access to the world's biggest car market by volume. That market is set to explode along with further economic growth.
In just five years China wants its motor companies to be building as many as 1 million electric cars a year, equal to 10 per cent of cars currently sold there.
That may mean a smaller piece of the pie for Toyota, Nissan and GM, which will have to compete on quality rather than price because subsidies the government in China is using to persuade drivers to go green are likely to be used to buy vehicles made in that country.
Toyota's response to the competition is a host of new models. It plans to launch 11 hybrid models, a range that none of its competitors can yet match.
It is also preparing a plug-in hybrid seen as an answer to the critics who say it has focused too much on hybrids at the expense of purely electric vehicles.
All of them, Toyota insists, will be more affordable. To that end, the company is tapping into the talents of the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors, a partnership that could greatly reduce the cost of making batteries.
Accounting for as much as half of a green car's price tag, making those power packs cheaper is probably the biggest technological hurdle faced by all car companies.
Yet for all the green hype, petrol-driven cars are still going to outnumber environmentally friendly vehicles for many more years. Even the most optimistic industry analysts still expect that by the turn of the next decade only one in 10 cars to be green, and then only with the help of state subsidies.
So for Toyota and the Japanese, winning the green car vehicle race may seem all important, but they cannot forget to keep their petrol-guzzling customers happy too.
And they want what they've always wanted - good-looking, well-priced, reliable cars that every now and then can deliver a little bit of oomph.
business@thenational.ae
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%2C%20Manal%20Khader%2C%20Amer%20Daher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The%20specs
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Wallabies
Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
If%20you%20go
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE) 68 72 69 67 - 4-under
Company%C2%A0profile
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WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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