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Toyota pick up American manufacturers of electric cars, Tesla. Toyota finally took the decision to buy shares in Tesla worth U.S. $ 50 millions. While Tesla was allowed to use the Toyota factory in San Francisco to build Tesla electric car.

Akio Toyoda & Elon Musk

President of Toyota Motor Corp. Akio Toyoda and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a press conference at Tesla’s headquarters. The agreement between Toyota and the Silicon Valley origin electric car’s company’s is believed will improve the image that was tarnished following Toyota recalls millions of cars worldwide.

Toyota - Tesla | Tesla - Toyota Logo

Toyota and Tesla Logo. Tesla according to Akio Toyoda, reminding him of the early days Toyota as a car manufacturer.

Tesla S Sport Car

One of the cars that will be created at Toyota’s factory is Tesla S sports car.

Toyota - Tesla: Schwarzenegger - Akido - Musk

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke with President Toyota Motor Corp. Akio Toyoda, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto California.

Toyota Motor Company decided to halted the sales of Lexus GX 460 worldwide after US magazine Consumer Reports gave the Lexus GX 460 SUV a rare ‘Don’t Buy: Safety Risk’ rating. On Wednesday Toyota’s suspended Lexus GX 460 sales in the United States and Canada. Today they announced that the company has decided to suspend the SUV’s sales worldwide, which means also in Russia and Middle East after North America,’ said Toyota spokeswoman Mieko Iwasaki, in reference to the other markets where the vehicle is sold.

Toyota suspends sales of its 2010 Lexus GX 460 worldwide amid roll-over concerns and says that it will test other SUV models. The other models include the Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado and Rav4.

We are in the middle of analysing what the problem is. Once it becomes clear, the company will decide whether to recall and repair the cars,’ Iwasaki said. Concerned GX 460 owners will be offered a loan car in the interim.

The automaker will also ‘start testing all the other SUV models, including the Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado and Rav4,’ she said, adding that Toyota will continue to sell those models.

Toyota, which overtook General Motors in 2008 as the top-selling automaker, has been bedevilled by a series of safety issues that have raised questions about whether it sacrificed its legendary quality to become world number one.

The 2010 Lexus GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US and, according to the consumer group, about 5,000 vehicles have been sold.

Versions of the Lexus GX have been on sale in North America since 2002.

Toyota is currently facing a record $16.4m (£10.7m) fine from the US Transport Department for failing to notify it about defective accelerator pedals.

The automaker has been hit with at least 97 lawsuits seeking damages for injury or death linked to sudden acceleration and 138 class action lawsuits from customers suing to recoup losses in the resale value of Toyota vehicles.

The company faces a record 16.4-million-dollar fine in the United States for its failure to notify authorities quickly about vehicle safety problems.

Toyota recently announced it would reshape its global operations as part of efforts to ‘regain consumer confidence’ by boosting transparency and speeding up the decision-making process for recalls.

Fremont, – a red Toyota Corolla that rolled in at Thursday morning 09:21 Pacific time, was the last car out of the production line from New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) in the bay of San Francisco, California. After that time, the factory that was established from the collaboration of two of the world’s largest car manufacturer, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and General Motors (GM) was closed!

For a quarter century, since 1984, NUMMI factory that run by Toyota and GM have been producing 8 million cars. That was an achievement should be proud of. That’s why when last the Corolla sedan rolled, workers touched. They were still shaking.

2010-toyota-corolla-nummi

“I saw all the workers shouted when the factory atmosphere was quiet. We were wishing good bye between each other. “I’m sad! “ Says David Guerra, who has worked at NUMMI for 25 years (during the plant opened)”. Previously, this guy has been working there 14.5 years.

Moral message
At NUMMI, Toyota produces Corolla and Tacoma pickup vehicles. While GM’s produce the Pontiac Vibe SUV. Initially the two companies employ 4700 employees. Last year, GM withdrew from NUMMI due to bankruptcy. Toyota alone!

Since last August, Toyota states can no longer continue the NUMMI operation. The condition worsened earlier this year, so the issue of Toyota’s product recall was blowing hard into the country.

Before closing, persuasion, demonstration, and moral messages from religious leaders to defend the factory to continue operating did not open hearts of the Toyota management to change its policy. Their decisions are still closed the factory!

In fact, last Thursday, a group of religious leaders CLUE-Clergy United for Economic Justice, stayed outside the factory to convey a moral message to the leadership of Toyota. A deputy, Carol Been, sent a letter to Toyota asking for the factory reopened.

“We bring a message of moral authority as religious leaders. Implored them, with their way, better way and the Toyota way to reopen the factory, “explained Carol. According to them, this closing is a stupid policy. Worker center was established near the mill to provide counseling.

nummi-plant

Message from Akio Toyoda
Meanwhile, the number one person in Toyota, Akio Toyoda, only deliver messages through a release issued by the company today (Saturday, 3/4/2010).

“I want to express my deepest appreciation to the workers at NUMMI that has produced Toyota and GM. Including suppliers and local communities. I want to thank the GM that has become our partner for 25 years at the plant, “he said.

“I would like to thank those who have worked at NUMMI. They have been doing their best until last Corolla. Even some of them remained still there at the plant that already stopped the production. They keep the equipment. I’m really thrilled with the enthusiasm they have to show for work at this factory, “said Akio, who also had an internship in the factory when he was sent to study in the United States.

Toyota notes, although production had stopped, some activities are still running. Some workers seem to clean the tip of spray paint and welding machines. These tools will be sent to another factory in San Antonio Texas.

There is no explanation about the vast former factory will do with. Statement from NUMMI, some employees will continue working at the plant until several months into the future to sell tools, clean, and secure it. The factory will also try to find new buyers and work with city and state officials to determine next steps.

Severance
Most of NUMMI employees have received severance pay with the minimum payments, 21,175 U.S. dollars. The problem is, workers at NUMMI were part of GM’s union. They do not have a relationship with the union of Toyota in the U.S. They cannot demand more money.

Predictably, the factory closures caused 25,000 people lost their jobs, including suppliers of components. Vonda Jones, of Brentwood, working at production lines of Tacoma that had stopped production last week, said she had to adjust his increasingly difficult life.

“My Alarm is stop working from last Sunday and I do not know what to do.

NUMMI History from The Beginning

JAPAN – After a call to action for improvement (recall) 60,774 units of four models due to interference with electrical cable in the air bag, now, Daihatsu Motor Co. (DMC) back to a similar action and many more cars were recalled, which is 275,000 units for the domestic market.

Recall done because there are bolts missing or loose in the suspension of the car. In addition, also found similar cases in the gasoline hose and brake lights.

Daihatsu Logo

Several models that withdrawal by Daihatsu is Hijet, Hijet Deck Van, and Atrai which is produced in the 2004-2009 year, local building products for the Japanese market. Some of these products, 450 units are known has been exported outside Japan.

There was no further information about any country in marketable the products. However, manufacturers claim there is no accident that occurred due to this case.

In addition, subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. also took a small part of products Mira and Move Conte from a total recall because the problem of damaged air hoses and electrical cable problem.

Washington – President of Toyota, Akio Toyoda really keep his promise to reform the largest automobile manufacturer in Japan. To the point, to anticipate security problems, Toyota will form a SWAT team. Why?

Through the Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corp., Shinichi Sasaki, as responsible for quality assurance and customer service, Toyota will make a significant way in the customer’s security approach.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing

Toyota is fabricated SWAT team to make an inspection technician who will follow up immediately report incidents of unintended acceleration as quickly as possible, not only by using black box data car ‘EDR’ but improving vehicle diagnostic tools.

“We are doubling our commitment to always put our customers and their safety in the first place,” he said in written testimony submitted to the U.S. Congress, as quoted by the official Toyota site, Wednesday (3/3/2010).

Toyota Motor Corp. will also give a portion of a larger role for their people in North America in the quality assurance process, including the recall.

“And we will communicate more open and more transparent with the U.S. safety regulators and consumers,” he added.

To achieve this, Toyota will reorganize fundamentally Toyota’s quality assurance processes, under the personal direction President Akio Toyoda. These improvements will include the entire quality assurance process from planning, design for manufacturing, sales and service.

With regard to customer service, Toyota will build a better network to collect consumer information with more timely in the location, according to tradition genchi genbutsu or “go and see.”

In order to help make Toyota timely and appropriate decisions, will share Toyota’s global field of information by allowing each regional staff to access a global network.

“I would be very sure that Toyota remains among the safest and most reliable in the world,” Shinichi promise.

Thus, Toyota ultimately hopes to work with NHTSA, and the U.S. Congress, to advance the common goal of improving highway safety for drivers and the general public

Massive recall by Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC), which totaled 8.5 million units, the effect was extraordinary. Create Japan, calling the action for improvement that the Japanese economy has worsened. It influences into, was to the exterior, Toyota sales in Europe fell.

Toyota Logo

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry as Naoshima Masayuki Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday (2/3/2010) warned that a major recall action against Toyota was a bad add the Japanese economy, weakening yen exchange rate against foreign currencies. “Not only that, the high unemployment rate,” said Naoshima very concerned with the global recall what happened to Toyota and vendor.

Toyota Recall

“I’ve heard that Toyota is ready to suffer because of the decline in sales volume. Who would have thought, that the condition affects the Japanese economy and we must carefully look at this situation,” continued Naoshima.

Indeed, since the massive recall late 2009 and early 2010, the Toyota market abroad declined. Not least in the U.S., Europe had predicted this year would drop. “Though still too early to determine the amount,” call the Chief Executive of Toyota’s European Division Tadashi Arashima told reporters.

Last year, following Toyota’s sales of premium Lexus vehicles in Europe recorded 730,831 units. The number was down 4.7% over the previous year. While the market in the second month of 2010, according to Didier Leroy, Executive Vice President Division of Toyota’s European judged to be good.

“This February, as sales performance in Italy, Greece and Germany were not good. And in these three countries are given incentives for every new car purchase in exchange for long. This provision expired last year,” said Leroy.

Lacks of good sales are also reflected in other European countries such as France, Turkey and England. Indeed, until now has not signed the sales figures. But to him, at least for March, his condition is the same as in February.

The reason, Toyota suspended production in the three countries. The length is about two weeks. It is not possible, these measures spread to other countries.

Honda has launched new sporty-style hybrid car, the CR-Z, on Thursday, February 25, 2010. The second best automotive companies in Japan also promised to continue to emphasis the quality of the product in the middle of the current crisis faced by its main rival, Toyota.

Honda hopes this two-door car will be the rage of young people who wanted to drive a “green car” to remain trendy. 2010 Honda CR-Z will go on sale in Japan on end of February, and in the United States and Europe in the mid-year of 2010.

2010 Honda CR-Z

“Product quality is very important to us,” said the CEO of Honda, Takanobu Ito, in press conferences.

He refused to comment on issues experienced by Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota President few days ago facing the U.S. Congress in Washington to answer questions related to the mass withdrawal of about 8.5 million vehicles in various countries.

Price of Honda CR-Z in Japan is relatively affordable at a price of 2.27 million yen (approximately USD 230 million) for the regular model and 2.5 million yen (USD 260 million) for the top-end models. The prices of the CR-Z in other countries will be announced shortly.

Honda says CR-Z can go 25 kilometers for every liter of fuel, less than 30 kilometers per liter cars Insight launched last year. When Toyota launched the Prius is capable of dominating the hybrid car market.

CR-Z is a hybrid model of the four Honda Insight and the car following the fuel versions of gas-electric Civic and Accord.