Honda Forced To Reduce Car Features

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Honda will sell some of its new vehicles without a function that detects vehicles in the blind spot and warns the driver, saying the dedicated semiconductors required for this function have been in short supply.

To solve the situation where it takes about a year from order receipt to delivery, Honda will sell the new models with the function reduced so that they can be delivered in about six months.

Sales of the new SUV model “ZR-V” began with a specification that eliminates “Blind Spot Information (BSI),” which alerts the driver by detecting vehicles diagonally behind the vehicle and displaying them in the door mirror. Since the procurement of the necessary in-vehicle semiconductors was not completed in time and the delivery period was expected to be prolonged, the company decided to sell the car without this BSI function. Although it varies by store and model, the time from order to delivery can be reduced by half, from about one year to about six months.

Read More»

Ammonia-Powered Fuel Cell Developed for Deep Sea Shipping

ShipFC is the project financed by the Union European program Horizon 2020 and Hydrogen Europe aiming to prove that fuel cells powered by green ammonia can meet the strict IMO standards of zero-emission Deep Sea shipping.

Currently, a 100% zero-emission solution is not available in this segment. Batteries do not last longue enough with a size that can fit a ship onboard, and Hydrogen technology has some other challenging issues to resolve. Alternative fuel solutions are promising but still need to be tested, confirmed, and approved by DNA.

Read More»

Mexico Beats Argentina for Brazilian Vehicle Exports

Fabio Ferraresi
Fabio Ferraresi

Mexico became the main trading partner of the Brazilian automotive sector in July, beating Argentina in 2023 YTD results. Brazil exports volume to Mexico are favorable because of a 33% growth in the Mexican domestic market. Brazil expanded its exports to the country by 142%, according to Anfavea.

Even with the help of increasing exports to Mexico, Brazilian exports had a significant reduction to 30,300 units, 27.6% below the same period in 2022, which totaled 41,900 units.

The Chilean market has shrunk by 30% this year, from 261,000 to 182,000 units compared to the first seven months of 2022. Purchases of vehicles made in Brazil decreased 61% in the period, from 41,000 to 16,000 units.

In Colombia, the domestic market fell by 60%, from 263,000 to 104,000 units, from January to July compared to the same period last year, and the presence of Brazilian vehicles fell 42%, from 47,000 to 27,000 units.

Read More»

Foxconn To Invest $246 Million in Vietnam Plant

SOUTHEAST ASIA: VIETNAM REPORT

Foxconn, Taiwan’s leading electronics contract manufacturer, has received regulatory approval for its plan to invest $246 million in two new projects in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam. The projects, to be carried out by a subsidiary of Foxconn Singapore, will focus on the manufacturing and assembly of telecommunications equipment and electric vehicle components.

This will bring Foxconn’s total investment in Vietnam to approximately $3 billion. Of the new investment, $200 million will be invested in a factory to produce EV chargers and components, which is expected to begin production in January 2025 and employ an estimated 1,200 workers.

Read More»

Ridesharing Giant Gojek Converting Vehicles To EVs

SOUTHEAST ASIA: VIETNAM REPORT

Indonesian ridesharing giant Gojek plans to convert all its motorcycles to EVs by 2030. The adoption of EV motorcycles is now in full swing in Indonesia, the largest motorcycle market in Southeast Asia with annual sales of more than 5 million units.

Gojek, the country’s leading ridesharing and delivery company, is said to have over 2 million registered riders, including both motorcycles and cars. The full conversion to EV bikes is expected to contribute significantly to the Indonesian government’s goal of 9 million EV bikes by 2030.

Read More»