Toyota may have fallen short of General Motors (GM) in global vehicle sales last year, but it has beaten out its US rival in another important measure -- global vehicle production.
In the latest neck-and-neck numbers race between the world's top two automakers, Toyota Motor Corp said yesterday it had made a record 9,497,754 vehicles worldwide last year, up 5.3 percent from 2006.
That's about 213,000 more automobiles than the 9.284 million that GM made last year.
Toyota's earlier, less precise production estimate for last year was 9.51 million. Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco in Tokyo said there was no special reason for the change from the estimate.
By sales, however, General Motors Corp just barely retained its crown over Toyota, selling 9,369,524 vehicles around the world, up 3 percent from the previous year, and about 3,000 vehicles more than Toyota.
Toyota on Friday updated its sales tally for last year to 9,366,418. In numbers released last week, Toyota said it sold 9.366 million vehicles last year globally, up 6 percent from 2006 -- allowing GM to keep its title of world's No. 1 automaker for the 77th year.
The two big manufacturers are vying for sales in the US, Europe and other established markets but also new markets, including India and China.
Toyota said production in Japan marked its sixth straight year of gains for a record last year. Exports and overseas production also surged, it said.
Toyota has been racking up growth recently, riding on its reputation for quality and good mileage. Soaring gas prices are making smaller cars -- Toyota's forte -- increasingly in demand.
Three experts in the high technology industry have said that US President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose higher tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors is part of an effort to force Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to the negotiating table. In a speech to Republicans on Jan. 27, Trump said he intends to impose tariffs on Taiwan to bring chip production to the US. “The incentive is going to be they’re not going to want to pay a 25, 50 or even a 100 percent tax,” he said. Darson Chiu (邱達生), an economics professor at Taichung-based Tunghai University and director-general of
‘LEGACY CHIPS’: Chinese companies have dramatically increased mature chip production capacity, but the West’s drive for secure supply chains offers a lifeline for Taiwan When Powerchip Technology Corp (力晶科技) entered a deal with the eastern Chinese city of Hefei in 2015 to set up a new chip foundry, it hoped the move would help provide better access to the promising Chinese market. However, nine years later, that Chinese foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor Corp (合晶集成), has become one of its biggest rivals in the legacy chip space, leveraging steep discounts after Beijing’s localization call forced Powerchip to give up the once-lucrative business making integrated circuits for Chinese flat panels. Nexchip is among Chinese foundries quickly winning market share in the crucial US$56.3 billion industry of so-called legacy
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday held its first board of directors meeting in the US, at which it did not unveil any new US investments despite mounting tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, prompting market speculation that TSMC might consider boosting its chip capacity in the US or ramping up production of advanced chips such as those using a 2-nanometer technology process at its Arizona fabs ahead of schedule. Speculation also swirled that the chipmaker might consider building its own advanced packaging capacity in the US as part
Zhang Yazhou was sitting in the passenger seat of her Tesla Model 3 when she said she heard her father’s panicked voice: The brakes do not work. Approaching a red light, her father swerved around two cars before plowing into a sport utility vehicle and a sedan, and crashing into a large concrete barrier. Stunned, Zhang gazed at the deflating airbag in front of her. She could never have imagined what was to come: Tesla Inc sued her for defamation for complaining publicly about the vehicles brakes — and won. A Chinese court ordered Zhang to pay more than US$23,000 in