Toyota

Japanese industrial giant Toyota is providing financial support to research conducted at the Sofia-based Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Technology (INSAIT), focusing on the realms of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Data from a Japanese auto industry association show that China overtook Japan as the world's largest vehicle exporter last year.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association reported Japan exported 4.42 million vehicles in 2023, up 16 percent from a year earlier, while domestic auto sales totaled nearly 4.78 million vehicles.

Japan's Toyota said yesterday that net profit in its first quarter surged 78 percent as global production rebounded after severe supply disruptions a year ago.

The world's biggest automaker by sales said net profit in the three months to June was 1.31 trillion yen ($9.1 billion) on sales of 10.55 trillion yen, up 24.2 percent from a year ago.

Talks are ongoing with carmakers from Europe and Asia, including China, to lure more investments into Türkiye's automotive sector, Industry and Technology Minister Fatih Kacır has said.

"We are hoping that at least one of them will announce an investment decision by the end of the year," he said.

The sales of new cars in Bulgaria jumped by 15% for the first six months of the year, according to the registration data of the "Road Police". During the period, 20,675 cars and lightweight vehicles (categories M1 and N1) were bought. A year earlier, they were 17,506.

Toyota named Koji Sato president and CEO on Jan. 26, in a surprise reshuffle that sees third-generation chief executive Akio Toyoda step aside to become board chairman of the world's top-selling automaker.

The Japanese automaker said Sato, 53, would also become operating officer when the changes to its executive structure take effect on April 1.

The number of road motor vehicles registered increased by 10.2 percent in September from a year ago to 102,500, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) have shown.

New registrations, however, declined by 8.3 percent from August.

In September, 39 percent of the newly registered vehicles were passenger cars, while motorcycles claimed the second spot at 36.5 percent.

If the sales maintain their current pace in the coming months, electric vehicle sales may reach around 4,500 units, according to a business group.

In the first six months of 2022, the number of registered electric vehicles increased by 170 percent from a year ago to 2,413, according to a recent report by the Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Association (TEHAD).

Fiat sold a total of 62,154 vehicles in the first six months of 2022, dominating the local market in terms of sales.

The carmaker sold more than 41,000 passenger cars and around 21,000 light commercial vehicles in January-June, according to data from the Automotive Distributors' Association (ODD).

Tesla's deliveries of electric vehicles fell in the second quarter compared to the previous one due mainly to a weeks-long closure of its factory in China, the company has said.    

Elon Musk's enterprise delivered 254,695 vehicles from April to June, it said in a statement.