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Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 |
AsiaViews, Edition: 39/VI/December/2009
Toyota Motor Corp. said it will have its first plug-in hybrid vehicle on the road by the end of 2011--a sign it is embracing more than conventional hybrid technology to fight global warming.
The Prius plug-in hybrid will cover up to 23.4 kilometers on its electric motor alone, which is 10 times farther than the current gas-electric Prius model.
Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's executive vice president, told a news conference Monday that the plug-in version should be viewed more as a daily-use electric vehicle than as an evolutionary step in hybrid technology.
Uchiyamada, architect of the automaker's original gas-electric Prius, said more than half of Japan's drivers travel less than 25 kilometers a day.
In recent months, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., which do not offer hybrids, have drawn attention with their zero-emission electric vehicles.
Toyota, meanwhile, pushed hybrid technology as a realistic answer to cutting emissions after concluding it would be difficult to design a fully electric vehicle that could travel distances equal to gas-engine cars.
But company officials were concerned the automaker might be seen as not taking fully electric vehicles as a serious option.
After the initial 23.4 kilometers, the Prius plug-in hybrid switches over to the engine-motor combination, which gives it an advantage over limited-distance electric vehicles.
The vehicle will get a fuel efficiency of 57.0 km per liter, based on a mileage formula for plug-in hybrid vehicles compiled by the transport ministry.
It will emit about 60 percent less carbon dioxide than a comparable gas-engine vehicle, including emissions generated at a power plant, for a 30-km run, according to Toyota.
Toyota plans to sell 1,000 units a month for an expected 2.5 million yen to 3 million yen sticker price.
The automaker will this month begin leasing about 600 units to companies and organizations in Japan, the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
The Prius plug-in hybrid will come with lithium-ion batteries more powerful than the nickel metal hydride batteries in the current-generation Prius.
It takes about three hours to charge using a 100-volt household electrical socket.
By: Satoshi Kubo
The Asahi Shimbun 16 December 2009
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 )
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On business
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 |
AsiaViews, Edition: 39/VI/December/2009
Business confidence among large manufacturers increased for the third consecutive quarter, but the improvement rate shrank and overall sentiment remains low, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey for December showed Monday.
The diffusion index among large manufacturers was minus 24, up 9 points from the previous survey in September, when a 15-point rise was recorded.
The diffusion index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of companies reporting unfavorable business conditions from the percentage reporting favorable conditions.
The central bank conducted the survey on about 10,000 companies from Nov. 9 to Dec. 11. During that period, the government announced that Japan had entered a state of deflation, and the yen soared after Dubai's debt problems were revealed.
These factors, as well as uncertain prospects for the Japanese economy, apparently led to the slower improvement rate in business sentiment.
"If the government and the Bank of Japan show a stronger will to stop the appreciation of the yen and deflation, Japan will be able to avoid a 'second bottom,' even if its economy temporarily levels off," said Mitsumaru Kumagai, a senior economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research.
In addition, corporate investment plans for plant and equipment in fiscal 2009 were revised downward, while the job situation for students remains grim.
The diffusion index among major automakers jumped by 28 points to minus 21, mainly because of government policies to promote sales in Japan and other countries.
The figure among electronic appliance makers rose 16 points to minus 17.
But the index among oil and coal product makers deteriorated 11 points, apparently due to the rise in crude oil prices.
The Tankan survey also found that large manufacturers are using an average exchange rate of 92.93 yen per dollar for their business plans in fiscal 2009, 1.57 yen higher than in the September survey.
However, the yen has strengthened well beyond that level, which could curb corporate earnings, particularly among those dependent on exports.
Among large nonmanufacturers, the diffusion index stood at minus 22, up 2 points from the previous survey. But sentiment among restaurants and hotels continued to decline.
The index among second-tier companies was minus 29, up 6 points from the previous survey. For small and medium-sized companies, the index was minus 37, a rise of 6 points.
The Tankan survey also calculated an index by subtracting the percentage of companies reporting funding difficulties from the percentage that do not have such problems.
The index was plus 6 among large companies, while the figure for small and medium-sized companies was minus 16.
Large companies' investment plans in plant and equipment in fiscal 2009 decreased 13.8 percent from the actual investment amounts of fiscal 2008. The decline is the largest ever recorded in a December Tankan survey.
The figure also represented a 3.4-point downward revision from the previous survey.
Soichi Okuda, chief economist at Sumitomo Shoji Research Institute, said the decline in investment shows caution among Japanese companies. And this could mean the Japanese economy has been left behind as the global economy recovers at a faster-than-anticipated pace.
"There is a possibility that the growth rate of (Japan's) gross domestic products will fall into negative territory again in the April-June period or July-September period of next year," Okuda said.
Large companies plan to decrease their hiring of students scheduled to graduate in March 2010 by 30.5 percent from the level for March 2009 graduates.
The decline is the second largest in any Tankan survey. The figure is also a 6-point downward revision from the Tankan survey in June.
The index to gauge whether companies are saddled with surplus workers improved by 3 points, but remained high at plus 15.
The Asahi Shimbun 15 December 2009
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 )
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 |
AsiaViews, Edition: 39/VI/December/2009
Shanghai's exports fell at a slower pace in November - the latest sign pointing to a recovery in the city's economy - while industrial output and retail sales rose and foreign direct investment was steady.
Exports in Shanghai fell 5.3 percent from a year earlier to US$13.4 billion last month. The drop eased from a decline of 10.7 percent in October, the Shanghai Statistics Bureau said yesterday.
Imports unexpectedly rose 26.7 percent on an annual basis to US$12.7 billion last month, after falling 9.2 percent a month earlier.
"Overseas demand is recovering faster than our expectations," said Chen Lu, an analyst at the Haitong Securities Co.
"It is a good sign for Shanghai to return quickly to economic growth. Surging imports also indicated rising demand among manufacturers, with industrial production expanding rapidly."
Shanghai's industrial output grew 15.1 percent from a year earlier to 224.6 billion yuan (US$32.8 billion) in November, further accelerating from the 12-percent climb in October.
Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said earlier this month that the city should be a role model in developing an innovation-led growth pattern.
To nurture the spirit of innovation, Shanghai has decided to allocate 10 billion yuan of government funding to aid start-up firms in targeted high-tech businesses, including clean energy, new materials, biomedicine and information technology.
Last month, Shanghai imported US$4.86 billion worth of advanced technology products, a jump of 21.8 percent from a year ago.
Shanghai's economy is likely to grow 9 percent this year. The city's gross domestic product rose 9.8 percent year on year in the third quarter, picking up from the advances of 7.9 percent in the second quarter and 3.1 percent in the first three months.
Shanghai's retail sales climbed 13.8 percent last month while foreign direct investment in the city rose 6.3 percent to US$850 million.
The city's consumer prices also started to rise last month, ending nine months of deflation. Its Consumer Price Index edged up 0.2 percent from a year earlier.
By: Wang Yanlin
Shanghai Daily News 17 December 2009
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 )
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On business
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 |
AsiaViews, Edition: 39/VI/December/2009
NESTLE SA, the world's largest food company, plans to raise the price of some milk powders by 5 to 10 percent in China next year, a move that may be copied by other dairy companies.
Nestle said the price increase was due mainly to rising costs for raw milk on the international market.
From January 1, the 400-gram Nestle Hi-Calcium milk powder will be sold between 33.70 yuan (US$4.94) and 39.10 yuan in stores in Shanghai, up from the current range of 30.60 yuan to 35.50 yuan.
The price of the 185-gram Nestle Eagle Brand full cream sweetened condensed milk will also go up to as much as 9.30 yuan compared to the existing maximum price of 8.80 yuan.
Nestle said five products will be affected by the price increase, and they account for a small proportion of its overall milk products range.
The Swiss firm noted prices of some core raw materials have risen and it also faced high inventory costs.
Dairy expert Wang Dingmian said the price of imported raw milk powder has risen from 22,000 yuan per ton in August to 32,000 yuan per ton by last month.
He told reporters that other factors should also be taken in consideration, for example the "cost for packaging, transport are also driving forces."
Officials from Bright Dairy & Food Co Ltd said the company is considering a price increase to pass on the additional costs to consumers.
Other dairy makers including Dumex, Mead Johnson and domestic brand Mengniu have yet to announce any price increase at local supermarkets.
Prices of domestic milk powders have risen twice this year.
By: Jin Jing
Shanghai Daily News 17 December 2009
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 December 2010 06:12 )
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