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Mar-12-2011Business impact of quake assessed in area(topic overview)
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The statement said "all TMC plants have restarted production" while employees at related factories in northern Japan "are evacuating to safe areas." A Nissan statement on Friday said: "At this time, Nissan does not anticipate any immediate affect from the earthquake or tsunami on its Americas operations, facilities, dealers or customers. We are monitoring the status of employees who have traveled to Japan locations to ensure their continued safety." According to Automotive News, the Japan quake could slow exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris, the Scion XB and XD, and the Honda Fit. [1] Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. suspended production at plants in Japan today and were assessing damage after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo. The shutdown could affect exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD, as well as the Honda Fit small car, the Accord sedan and CR-V crossover. [2] Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest automaker, shut down two auto assembly plants, in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. There were no immediate reports of injuries among its workers, spokeswoman Monika Saito said. Parts makers were also shut down, she said. Nissan Motor Co. halted production at five of its plants in northeastern Japan and in the Yokohama area near Tokyo. It said two workers were slightly injured at its Tochigi plant and its technical centre in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo. [3]
Honda says the 42-year-old male employee died and more than 30 others were injured when walls and parts of a ceiling crumbled at a Honda Motor Co. research facility in northeastern Tochigi prefecture. Toyota Motor Corp. shut down two auto plants in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, and Nissan halted production at five of its plants. [4] Toyota has four subsidiaries with plants in the quake zone, including facilities that make the Yaris and the Scion xB and xD for export. Toyota USA said those plants are shut down and workers have been evacuated to safe areas. Toyota said the extent of the damage at those subsidiary plants -- Toyota Motor Hokkaido, Toyota Motor Tohoku, Central Motor and Kanto Auto Works Iwate -- and at suppliers including Denso is undetermined. Honda: At least one person was killed and 30 injured when a wall collapsed at a Honda's R&D; facility in Tochigi prefecture. Production was disrupted at two plants but has restarted at one of them. [5]
The disaster in Japan also has rattled stock markets on Wall Street. Toyota (NYSE: TM) bases its Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America headquarters in Erlanger, Ky. It has operations in Troy, with dozens of suppliers in the Dayton region. Honda'''s Marysville-based manufacturing arm has more than 12,000 workers at assembly and engine plants in and around Central Ohio, where they produce Honda Accords, CR-Vs, Elements and Acura TLs and RDXs. The company employs about 2,750 people at its Dayton-area engine plant in Anna and operates a 600,000-square-foot distribution hub in Troy. Kotobuki Die Castings Co. the Japan-based parent company of Kotobuki-Reliable Die Casting Inc. in Xenia has halted production at its Japanese operations, which is several hundred miles from the most severe damage. Gary Grochowski, chief operating officer of local operations, said the plant in Japan sustained only minor damage, but most of its power has been cut off as nuclear plants have gone offline while the shut down of trains and the subway has made it difficult to bring in workers. '''The plant over there has their own emergency generators, which they'''re running basic power so the offices are operational, but as far as the big equipment that takes a lot of voltage and a lot of amperage, that stuff is not running right now,''' Grochowski said. [6]
Of Japan's automakers, Toyota has the largest presence in northern Japan, and will perhaps be most affected by the quake. The automaker has several manufacturing facilities in the region, including a number of parts facilities and a handful of partners responsible for producing the company's small cars. Toyota has halted production at those facilities, and briefly suspended production at its plants in central Japan. The automaker notes some of its supplier base was also affected by the quake, which could also interrupt future production schedules. In a prepared release, Honda notes one employee at its research and development center in Tochigi perished in the quake, while several others sustained injuries. Production at its Saitama factory, which builds the Legend (Acura RL), CR-V, Japanese-spec Accord and Accord Wagon (Acura TSX), along with a number of small MPV models. [7] As a result of the quake and tsunami, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru all suspended production at plants in Japan today and are assessing the damage caused. It is reported that the shutdown could affect exports to the United States of many models including the Toyota Yaris sedan, Scion xB, Scion xD, Honda Fit, Honda Accord sedan and the Honda CR-V. Production of the Acura and Infiniti lineups will also be affected. [8]
The devastating earthquake in Japan has threatened to impact the exports of Japanese vehicles and auto parts coming into the United States. Toyota, Honda and Nissan all suspended production at a few of their plants in Japan today as they assessed the damage of the earthquake. [9]
The''powerful earthquake in Japan and the''resulting tsunami caused plant shutdowns and disrupted ports from which cars are shipped to the U.S. While damage was mostly minor at inland auto factories, companies are still assessing damage to the ports. Toyota says its main plants that shut down are running again and Honda says some of its plants will remain closed through Monday. [10] Factories were closed by Toyota, Nissan, Honda and others as the auto industry began to assess the damage from the quake, which registered a magnitude of 8.9. Honda said an employee at its Tochigi R&D; center was crushed by a collapsing wall, and at least 30 other workers were injured as a result of the quake, which also caused the company to shutter two plants. [1] Factories are closed by Toyota, Nissan and Honda, and at least one worker is reported dead in "the strongest earthquake to hit Japan in at least 300 years." Honda said an employee at its Tochigi R&D; center was crushed by a collapsing wall. [1]
Nissan has announced that it will be suspending operations at its Japan plants until at least Sunday, March 13 due to the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan. Nissan has reported two minor injuries to employees at its Tochigi Plant, while power outages are confirmed at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi City. [11] Nissan officials say the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan isn't expected to impact operations here in the United States which include their manufacturing plant in Canton. In a press release Nissan North America said they are currently confirming the safety of all Nissan employees and continue to assess the situation at their Japanese facilities, but don't believe their operations have been significantly affected. [12] Toyota officials say employees at these facilities have been evacuated to safe areas. While all Toyota plants have resumed production, Toyota officials say the company continues to gather information on its other operations in Japan and assess the potential impact on its North American import vehicles. [13] The company operates an assembly plant in San Antonio which manufactures Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks. Asked if the situation in Japan is expected to affect those San Antonio operations, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas Inc. spokesman Craig Mullenbach says, '''As of now, we are not expecting an immediate impact to our production.''' [13] Toyota Motor Corp said manufacturing has been interrupted at some plants in Japan by the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on Friday. In a statement on the company's U.S. website, Toyota said there had been no injuries at its Tokyo head office, nor at offices in Higashifuji, Tochigi, and Yamanashi, and the Toyota Motor Tohoku facilities. [14] Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., whose shares trade over the counter in the U.S., fell 2.7% to $18.92 recently. Each company operates manufacturing plants near the quake's epicenter, though its impact on Japan's automotive assembly facilities appears "manageable," according to a report by Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. [15]
A statement from Nissan USA said small fires were put out at plants in Tochigi and Iwaki. Nissan said its facilities would remain shut down through the weekend and a decision on what will reopen Monday will be made tomorrow after it has better information on its facilities and those of suppliers. Fuji (Subaru): '' Reuters reports that Fuji Heavy Industries stopped production at eight of 10 factories, including all five car and car parts-related plants for its Subaru-brand vehicles in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo. [16] Nissan Motor Co. said it had immediately suspended operations at five factories in Fukushima in the north east, and Tochigi and Kanagawa prefectures, north and south of Tokyo. Small fires broke out at its Tochigi and Iwaki plants but have been extinguished, the company said. Both Infiniti and the Nissan Leaf EV could be affected, notes the Journal, but Renault (which owns nearly the majority of Nissan's stock) could be the one sweating its exposure. [17]
Primary Earth EV Energy, a joint venture with Panasonic Corp. in Miyagi Prefecture also stopped operating. This factory makes batteries for hybrid cars. Other factories affected are parts factory Toyota Motor Tohoku. This plant began production in October 1998. [18] The factories mainly produce components for use in things like Blu-ray players, and all employees have been safely evacuated. Toyota Motors said production had been halted at three plants, and also said that there had been damage to some dealerships, and that they were currently checking what the situation was with their suppliers. [19]
Toyota is one of the few Japanese automakers with a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, a region it wants to make a center for small car production. In January, its Central Motors subsidiary opened an new assembly plant just an hour's drive away from Sendai. That plant, with a capacity of 120,000 vehicles, makes the Yaris small car for export to the United States. [2] Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have all suffered some kind of production interruption since the quake hit, while Mazda, Suzuki and Mitsubishi remain untouched according to Automotive News. In a tragedy like this, some might be tempted to ascribe this division of suffering to some universal sense of justice, a cosmic leveling of Japan's automotive playing field. As the map above proves, this twist of fate is purely geographic Mazda, Mitsubishi and Suzuki happen to have all of their plants located well south of the affected area near Sendai. [17] Honda's Sayama plant, which manufactures the Fit among other cars (the Fit is exported to the U.S.), remains closed. Nissan halted production at all four of its auto assembly plants in Japan, while all five of Subaru's auto assembly and parts plants also halted operations. [9] Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and it has two affiliates, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. and Central Motors Co., that assemble small cars in the region. The immediate status of those plants was still being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said. At least one person died at Honda's r&d; facility, and fires erupted at two Nissan plants. [2] The car maker said it halted three plants in Tochigi, Saitama and Shizuoka. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.TO) said that its two Central Motor Co. and Kanto Auto Works Ltd. subsidiaries shut their combined two plants in Miyagi and Iwate, northern Japan. [20] Four subsidiary plants in Japan have stopped production, including Toyota Motor Hokkaido Plant, Toyota Motor Tohoku Plant, Central Motor Miyagi Plant, and Kanto Auto Works Tohoku Plant. All Toyota Motor Corp. plants have restarted production, the company said in its statement. Similar stories appear in Steel Markets Daily. [14]
Toyota plants near the company's headquarters in Toyota City, in central Japan, had resumed production as normal after brief shutdowns, Corbett said. There were no reports of injuries from those factories. [2] Toyota has reported its main production plants are operating fine, but 4 factories in northern Japan have been evacuated and shut down. [21]
TOKYO: Officials say Japanese automakers have halted production at plants in areas affected by Japan's massive earthquake, which killed one Honda worker. [4] The Associated Press reported that one worker at a Honda assembly plant was killed by a collapsing wall. All three of these automakers halted production in areas hit by the earthquake, the report said. [22]
Nissan has closed four factories, and said two workers had been injured, while Honda has stopped production at two plants and said that one employee had been killed and about 30 injured. [19] Nissan: The company halted production at five plants in northeastern Japan and in Yokohama near Tokyo because of damage or power outages. It said two workers were slightly injured at its Tochigi plant and its technical center in Kanagawa. [5] Honda has closed three production plants and a research and development center in Japan after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck north of Tokyo. [23]
The impact of the massive earthquake that hit Japan Friday impacted several of Honda Motor Co. ]] '''s plants in that country, but whether that will affect its North American operations run out of Marysville is still being determined. [23]
Honda, Nissan and Toyota have already issued statements that they have temporarily closed some of their plants in Japan. Operations at Honda's Saitama factory have been suspended, it has been reported, while Nissan reported that it has closed four of its plants in Tochigi, Kanagawa and Fukushima. [24] The Yaris is made at Toyota's Miyagi Prefecture plant, which has capacity of 120,000 units per year. Honda reportedly lost two employees at its Tochigi factory, Kanto region, near Utsunomiya. [25] "We are also currently assessing the situation at our suppliers, dealers and the impact on North American import vehicles," says the company spokesperson. Honda reportedly lost two employees at its Tochigi factory, Kanto region, near Utsunomiya. The company's 48-year-old Sayama plant, closer to the epicenter, has reportedly remained shut down and Honda headquarters had had trouble contacting its plants. [26] Honda Motor Co. has shut three plants through Monday, including one where it makes the Fit sub-compact car and the top of the line Acura sedan that are exported to the United States. Its research center in Tochigi also was damaged, killing a 43-year-old man, and at least 30 other Honda employees were injured in the region. [17] Honda Motor Co. (7267.TO) reported some of the most serious damage Friday. The company said that a 43-year old male employee died at its research and development center in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, as the wall of a cafeteria crumbled. [20] Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has confirmed the death of a Honda associate at the Tochigi research and development center north of Tokyo, when a wall collapsed in a cafeteria. [27]
Unfortunately, Honda says the 42-year-old male employee died and more than 30 others were injured when walls and parts of a ceiling crumbled at a Honda Motor Co. research facility in northeastern Tochigi prefecture. [28] One Honda employee died and at least 30 were injured when a wall collapsed at the company's Tochigi research and development facility. [23]
The facility, located about 80 miles north of Tokyo, houses Honda's Tochigi Proving Ground which includes test courses for the company's motorcycles and automobiles. Honda halted production at its automobile production plants in Sayama and Suzuka. [29] Honda's production line is least likely to be affected since over 91 percent of the company's cars and trucks sold in North America are made locally. The last time U.S. gasoline prices were as high as they are now, Toyota had increased its lineup of its much more-fuel-efficient models. Hopefully, things will settle down sooner than later, this time around too. [9] Toyota, which has a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, has been affected the most, with closures halting production of cars like the Yaris sedan and the Scion xB and xD models. [9]
The epicenter of the massive 8.9 earthquake in northern Japan was away from the country's main auto production centers but caused work to halt at some Toyota, Honda and Nissan facilities. [5] Nissan, Honda, and Toyota's Japan operations were all in force majeur as of Friday because of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake. [26] Toyota, Honda, Nissan React To Quake Damage Mar 11, 4:11 PM Automakers are saying that, in spite of the earthquake and consequent force majeur of operations, they. Saab Launches Social Media Program Mar 11, 4:21 PM The program, which extends its "Story of Saab" campaign that launched in January, lets consumers write. [26]
Reportedly, 30 people were hurt and one killed when the facility's cafeteria wall collapsed. Nissan says that, in spite of tsunami warnings for the West Coast of the U.S., the automaker does not anticipate any immediate affect from the earthquake or tsunami on its "Americas operations, facilities, dealers or customers." The company says its global headquarters building in Yokohama is was not significantly affected. [26] '''Here in the Americas we are operating normally, and we do not anticipate any immediate impact on Americas operations, facilities, dealers or customers.''' The company reports that its global headquarters building in Yokohama was not significantly affected. U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper's office, meanwhile, has set up hotline for those seeking information on friends or family who may be in Japan. Concerned individuals can call (615)-714-0386 this weekend, or visit Cooper's website. [30]
"Here in the Americas we are operating normally and we do not anticipate any immediate impact on American operations, facilities, dealers or customers," Brockman said. He did report that operations have been suspended at Nissan's Japan plants through Sunday, March 13. [12]
Franklin, Tenn. -based Nissan North America is reporting that it expects no immediate impact on domestic operations following an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. [30] Tsunami alerts have been issued for communities along the entire North America Pacific coastline. "At this time, we are currently confirming the safety of all Nissan employees and continue to assess the situation at our Japanese facilities, but we do not believe our operations have been significantly affected. [31] Some Middle Tennessee based Nissan employees were known to be in Japan at the time, but the company is reporting no employee casualties. '''At this time, we are currently confirming the safety of all Nissan employees and continue to assess the situation at our Japanese facilities, but we do not believe our operations have been significantly impacted,''' the Franklin-based North American division said in a statement. [30]
FRANKLIN ' No reports of employee casualties have been reported at Nissan's facilities in Japan and operations will be suspended in the coming days. [31]
The automaker says small fires broke out at the Tochigi Plant and the Iwaki Plant casting facilities but have been extinguished, and two employees at Tochigi Plant suffered minor injuries. The Nissan Oppama plant was reportedly affected, and that factory is where Nissan makes its new electric car, the Leaf. [26] Work at the company's Saitama factory has been suspended until further notice although the Suzuka plant has resumed production while Nissan reported two injuries to employees also in Tochigi. [32]
The plant was damaged including electronics company owned by Sony Corporation, Toyota and Nissan automotive company. According to a spokesman for Sony, Yasuhiro Okada they have to stop and evacuate their employees in six factories. [18]
Nissan, Toyota and Honda have all suspended operations at plants in the affected regions. [33] The tremblor also affected production of the Acura and Infiniti lineups. At least one person died at Honda's r&d; facility, and fires erupted at two Nissan plants. [17] Among affected plants is Oppama, sole production site of the breakthrough Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. [34]
Toyota's Tohoku car parts factory production was also shut, and production was suspended at a plant that Toyota runs with Panasonic Corp that produces hybrid vehicle batteries. [9] Toyota officials say some of the automaker'''s subsidiary parts and vehicle plants have temporarily halted production. [13]
Toyota Motor Corp said it had halted production at a parts factory and two assembly plants in the area. [28] "In fact, all Toyota Motor Corporation plants are in operation and production now." Toyota has created an emergency task force world wide to monitor the effects of this quake. [35]
Toyota Boshoku Corp., a Toyota Motor supplier, reported damage at a plant in Miyagi. Roads were also cracked near its factory, said Misako Nagata, a spokeswoman for the parts maker.''' [28] Suzuki Motor Corporation reported it has suffered no damage to headquarters or manufacturing plants located in the Shizuoka Prefecture region; the earthquake's epicenter was 240 miles north of Tokyo and Suzuki's headquarters are in Hamamatsu City, which is 158 miles south of the city. [26]
TOKYO -- Japanese automakers suspended production in at least nine plants as the country began to dig out Friday from what was described as "the strongest earthquake to hit Japan in at least 300 years." [1] TOKYO — Japanese automakers halted production at assembly plants in areas hit by Friday's 8.9-magnitude earthquake. [3]
TOKYO ( TheStreet ) -- Automakers in Japan were shutting production plants Friday after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck the country. [36]
Analysts were still trying to piece together the impact of today's eartquake and tsunami on the Japan's industrial base, including its globe-spanning auto industry. "Today's earthquake halted production at Japanese automakers in their home markets," noted a report from Standard & Poors. [27] NEW YORKThough the U.S. stock market held up well, Japan's earthquake and tsunami spurred bearish U.S. options trading on a number of companies and exchange-traded funds with exposure to the country. Auto maker Toyota Motor U.S.-listed shares, insurers Aflac and XL Group, the iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund and the CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust each experienced heavy activity in bearish put options to sell shares, as traders guarded up their stock. [37] Toyota Motor Corporation said that as of Friday morning (EST) the company has established a company-wide emergency task force to "assess the situation and take initial measures," vis the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan this morning. [38]
Toyota, which has a manufacturing plant in Georgetown, on Friday issued a statement regarding the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier in the day. [39]
A spokesman for Honda of America Manufacturing in Ohio said company leaders learned of at least one fatality at a research and development center in Tochigi, Japan, as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of that country. [40] The earthquake severely damaged a Honda assembly plant and research and development center in Tochigi, Japan. [41]
The 8.9 magnitude Japanese earthquake has shut down Honda facilities in the Tochigi Prefecture, including an R&D; center (top) and an automotive parts factory (bottom). [33] About thirty Honda workers were injured in the massive quake, and a 43 year old man was killed at Honda's Research and Development facility just outside of Tokyo. Many facilities have been shut down and production has been halted at 3 of its factories until Monday. [21] Toyota closed three factories, and Honda Motor Co. has also suspended production, which could affect exports of Toyota's Yaris sedan, Scion cars and Honda's Fit small car. [26] The report ended, stating, "Our conclusion is Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical." This included sticking accelerator pedals, and pedals caught under floor mats. Honda Motor Company said on Monday it was recalling more than 428,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada because of a defect that could cause the cars to roll away if they are parked incorrectly. [42] In a worst case scenario, the article explains, the driver may lose control of the car and crash. The recalled models were manufactured between July and September 2010, says MSNBC. The recall instructs owners to contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403 if they have questions about the recall, which is expected to begin in the middle of this month. As of last Monday, the Honda Motor Company has recalled 35,000 Civic hybrids sold in the United States, reports MSNBC. These cars, of model years 2006 and 2007, may have a faulty electrical system, explains the report. [43] Honda dealers will replace the voltage converter for free, the article says. The Toyota Motor Corporation has issued a recall for some models of their 2008 to 2011 FJ Cruisers, Land Cruisers, Sequoias, Tacomas, and Tundras, reports Thomas. In these trucks and SUVs, says MSNBC, the mechanism that monitors the tire pressure may be giving inaccurate readings. [43]
The Detroit automaker had taken second place in the third-quarter report after a brief No. 1 run amid Toyota'''s recall troubles. Honda, which bases its stateside manufacturing operations in Marysville, slipped to fourth place from the quarter before, behind Toyota and Chevrolet, which tied for second place. [44]
Besides, the Japanese automakers like Toyota, Honda, Subaru and Nissan have shut down and evacuated multiple factories throughout the country. [45] Automakers were the hardest hit, as Toyota ( TM ) shares fell 2.1% to $85.66, Honda Motor ( HMC ) sank 2.2% to $39.84 and Nissan Motor ( NSANY ) was down 2.2% to $19.02. [22] Chrysler Group Llc, Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company are recalling nearly 80,000 vehicles over safety concerns, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of USA. [42] "Toyota Motor Company has established a company-wide emergency task force to take initial measures. Employees at manufacturing companies in the Tohoku region, including Toyota Motor, Tohoku, and Central Motor Corporation are evacuating to safe areas," Toyota's official release said, without mentioning any details about any likely impact on its Indian operations. [24] American depository shares of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. dipped 2.2% to $39.83 after suspending operations at three manufacturing sites and the death of at least one employee. [15]
Honda'''s operations in Ohio include more than 100 Japanese workers on assignment, while several Ohio employees are in Japan working on projects. [23] Though Honda of America operations are far from Japan, company leaders are assessing the impact there may be on Ohio operations, which employ about 13,500 workers. [40]
GREENSBURG, Ind. -- A spokeswoman at the Greensburg Honda plant said some of the company's Japanese plants will be closed until Monday, after at least one Honda worker died in this morning's earthquake. Anita Sipes, spokesperson for Honda's plant in Greensburg, was she could confirm that some Honda plants would remain closed until Monday. [46] Many Japanese automakers suffered tiny amounts of damage from Friday's tremendous earthquake but claim they're recovering rather quickly--some factory workers were injured and one death was accounted for at Honda. [21]
The aluminum die casting and machining company, which works mostly for the auto market, has about 240 workers in Japan. Allen McGrew, chair of the geology department at the University of Dayton ]] , said the damage from this quake and its aftershocks could very well be in the tens of billions of dollars, and the death toll could be shocking, especially because of the ensuing tsunami. Japan is probably the best prepared country in the world for earthquakes, so it will be interesting to see how well their preparations withstand such a severe test, McGrew said in a statement. [6] TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- The massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northeast Japan Friday took a heavy toll on broad spectrum of the nation's industries from auto and consumer electronics makers to steel and beverage producers, forcing a number of them to shut their factories. With continued powerful aftershocks being followed by warnings for large tsunamis, or earthquake-generated tidal waves, as well as power outages throughout the region, it remains completely unclear when they will be able to resume their operations. [20] Production has been halted at many factories in Japan, as companies assess the damage of the earthquake and tsunami on the north-east coast. [19]
The 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday caused significant disruption to the country's automotive sector. Wheels will update this list as we learn more. These plants are responsible for the production of transmissions, wheels, brakes, torque converters and other components. [47] The biggest earthquake-related production losses are likely to be at Toyota's plants near the epicenter: the brand-new plant in Miyagi Prefecture, which makes the Yaris and has a 120,000 unit-per-year capacity, and its Kanto Auto Works plant in Iwate that also makes the Yaris, as well as the Scion XB and Scion XD cars for export. [26] Toyota's Kanto Auto Works has another assembly plant in the neighboring prefecture of Iwate. That plant also makes small cars, including the Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD for export. [2]
Toyota ( TM ) shut down two auto assembly plants, in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. [36]
The company's Sayama plant, north of Tokyo and closer to the epicenter, remained shut down by late Friday evening. Yamamoto said Honda headquarters was having difficulty contacting its plants. [2] Small fires broke out at two assembly plants, including the factory producing the Infiniti M sedan and GT-R sports car. They were quickly extinguished, the company said. The company also evacuated employees from its technology center south of Tokyo after the power was cut off there. [2] The Sayama plant makes the Fit, the CR-V and the Accord, the Acura RL, and TSX for export to the U.S. The company said the factory, as well as its R&D; center in Tochigi, would stay closed at least through Monday. [26]
Toyota: A statement from Toyota USA said production has restarted at all of the company''s Japanese plants. [5] Consumer electronics giant Sony Corp. (6758.To) said it stopped operations at six electronics components manufacturing plants in Fukushima and Miyazaki. A plant making Blu-ray discs and other products in Miyagi also experienced flooding on its first floor, Sony said. Asahi Kasei Corp. (3407.TO) said it halted production at its large-scale integration chip plant in Miyagi and it's not certain about damages there, but workers there had been evacuated and there were reports of injuries. [20] Nissan''notes it doesn'''t anticipate any immediate affect from the event, but has suspended production at four plants until March 13. It said two workers were slightly injured at its Tochigi plant and its technical centre in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo. [28]
A Honda ( HMC ) worker died after being crushed by a collapsing wall at a company research facility in northeastern Tochigi prefecture, the Associated Press reported. [36] Honda has reported one fatality at Honda R&D; in Tochigi prefecture. Nissan's statement claimed that only a few of its workers suffered minor injuries. [24]
Rail services 250 miles away in the capital, Tokyo, were suspended leaving thousands of commuters stranded. Honda reported one death at its Research & Development facility in the Tochigi prefecture as well as 30 injuries. [32] Unconfirmed reports state 30 or more have been injured and one person killed at Honda facilities in the Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo. [33]
As of now, the company says it has confirmed no injuries at the Tokyo head office, nor at the Higashifuji, Tochigi office, Yamanashi office, and Toyota Motor Tohoku facilities. [38] PARIS (Dow Jones)--The potential direct consequences of Friday's Japanese earthquake for Renault SA (RNO.FR) are marginal, but the bigger risk is through diminished earnings at alliance partner Nissan Motor Co. (7201.TO) if Nissan is forced to shut down production lines for a prolonged period. [48] The devastating 8.9 earthquake in Japan has shut down production for some of the nation's automotive industry. [33]
Amidst the rubble of earthquake and tsunami-racked Japan, a strange phenomenon: Three of the smallest local automakers suffered no interruption in production, while the very largest seemed to be hit the hardest. [17]
Exports of vehicles such as the Toyota Yaris could be affected by the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday. [2] The other major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki, have not reported any injuries as yet, as Honda was closest to the earthquake's epicenter. It is also too early to predict how the earthquake will affect operations but with much of Japan's infrastructure damaged, shipments delays are expected as the nation focuses on recovering. [29] Following the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami near Japan's northeastern coast of Honshu, Japanese auto companies in India are scrambling to map the likely impact on their local operations. [24] Kumamoto Factory in southern Japan remains in operation (motorcycles). Honda in Japan is assessing the resumption of operations and the long-term impact to its operations from the Japan earthquake. [49] LONDON (Dow Jones)--Global companies in industries ranging from cars to technology Friday started trying to assess the impact of the giant earthquake in Japan as operations were disrupted. [50] LONDON (Dow Jones)--Foreign companies Friday started counting the cost of a giant earthquake in Japan as operations were disrupted across the country. [51]
The company does not know how long it will take to restart operations. It depends on the extent of the damage that has been caused. Its government debt is now three times the size of its GDP (economic output), and twice the level it was in 1995. Capital Economics added that Japan was better prepared than most countries for such disasters. It also pointed out that although economic activity usually falls following major incidents, subsequent reconstruction work had in other cases boosted demand and helped the economy to bounce bank. It said it expected the scale to be similar to the Niigata quake in 2004, which cost $30bn. [19] Actually, Toyota is the only automaker in Japan with major manufacturing operations in the northern region of Japan, which is closest to the off-shore epicenter of the quake. [26] Toyota, in a statement Friday, said it has established a company-wide emergency task force "to take initial measures." It said there were no injuries at its head office and regional offices, but it was continuing to gather information on other facilities, including those in northern Japan, which was hardest hit by the quake. [1]
Car makers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan also build several models in the U.S, so the degree of disruption from the quake will vary from one model to the next. [10] As gasoline prices continue to rise in the U.S., analysts have predicted''increased interest in small economy cars. Some of those models, like the Toyota Yaris and Scion''vehicles,''and Honda's Fit and Insight, could be in short supply and more expensive ''just as the weather gets warm and the spring and summer driving season ramps up. [10]
The overall effect on production is expected to be small, but it is''unclear how soon''regular car shipments will resume. The result could be barely-noticeable ripples in the supply of certain models in the U.S. this spring. If ports in Japan are unable to restore their full capacity quickly, some models could start getting rare here in a month or two. It takes weeks for cars to make the trip from Japan to U.S. dealerships. Huge specialized car-carrying ships deliver them to west-coast ports or travel east through the Panama Canal. [10] They endured the jokes about their affection for tiny Italian cars and looked forward to the day when their beloved brand would again be seen on American shores. Now they are seeing their reward -- in their driveways. Chrysler's Fiat North America has begun delivering the first Fiat 500 Prima Edizione models in the USA. The limited-edition 2012 Fiat 500 models "were offered to Fiat enthusiasts in the U.S. as a reward for their years of steadfast loyalty to the Fiat brand. [16]
Three automakers have issued recalls for recent models of some cars, SUVs, and trucks, reports the Associated Press for MSNBC. The most serious of these applies to 2010 and 2011 Jeep Wranglers sold by Chrysler Group LLC, says the AP, and around 22,000 vehicles may be affected. According to the recall notice, these SUVs may have loose fasteners on the front or rear axles, which may negatively affect steering. [43] The Honda recall covers Accord, Civic and Element models from the 2003 and 2004 model years in the United States. That recall includes 384,220 vehicles. A parallel safety recall in Canada covers those models and some Acura 1.7ELs. There are about 44,000 vehicles under recall in Canada, most of them Accords and Civics. [42] As many as 288,968 Chrysler Jeep Wranglers from model year 2007 to 2010 could experience leaking brake fluid which could cause brake failure. These two recalls are in addition to one first reported last Friday for as many as 25,336 Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass vehicles for the 2007 model year involving possible sticky accelerator pedals. Owners of the models involved in each of the recalls are to be notified by Chrysler this month and Chrysler said it would fix the vehicles without charge. [42]
Toyota Sequoia, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Tacoma and Tundra vehicles from the 2008 through 2011 model years may have tyre deflation monitoring systems that fail to warn drivers, raising the risk of a crash, NHTSA said in a report. [42] CarGurus says the total cost of ownership for the hybrid and non-hybrid models was compared for each vehicle to determine the total cost of ownership premium for hybrids. This total cost of ownership included the initial purchase price, lost value in terms of depreciation and total gas costs over the time period analyzed. For this analysis, gas prices were calculated at $4 per gallon. The best-known hybrid, the Toyota Prius, was not included in this analysis as it does not have a non-hybrid counterpart. [16]
Affected vehicles will be repaired at Toyota dealerships for free, Toyota Motor Sales U.S. Inc., the automaker's U.S. sales branch, told NHTSA. [42] It's a Nissan/Infiniti shipyard all right.what a loss. With news of factory shutdowns/suspensions from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc.expect a shortage of Japanese assembled autos bound to these U.S. shores no doubt. [52] Top picks in other categories include Honda Motor Co.' s Fit for the new category of budget cars, Hyundai Motor Co.' s Elantra for small cars and Nissan Motor Co.' s Altima for family sedans for the second year. [53] Honda Motor Co. has confirmed the fatality of a Honda associate at the Tochigi R&D; Center, when a wall collapsed in the cafeteria. [46] At Honda's r&d; center in Tochigi prefecture, one person died and 30 were injured when the quake toppled a wall at the facility's cafeteria. [2]
More than 30 Honda associates were injured in the Tochigi area from collapsing ceilings and other damage during the earthquake. Honda would like to express its sincere condolences to the family of the associate who died as a result of this earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan and all those injured or displaced by this tragedy. [49] Honda has confirmed at least one fatality at its Tochigi, Japan, research facility following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake. [29]
As many as several hundred workers from central Ohio are there. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan and all those injured or displaced by this tragedy," Honda said. Among other local officials dealing with the earthquake are those at Wendy's International, which recently announced an expansion into Japan, and at the Ohio Department of Development, which has a three-person office in Tokyo. [41] Exceptions include the Fit subcompact and Insight hybrid. Although popular models such as the Accord and Civic are built in the United States, they might have parts made in Japan. Honda is determining how the earthquake might affect its supply of parts. [41] ''Honda is still determining how the earthquake may affect the supply of parts. The 8.9 magnitude quake sent shares skidding in Japan and elsewhere, adding to a slide in global stocks to their lowest level in nearly six weeks. [28]
Nearly all the Ohioans working for Honda in Japan have been accounted for, the company said this afternoon, as the automaker and other central Ohio businesses dealt with the ramifications of the disaster. Honda, which has a major presence in this area, routinely sends employees to Japan for training or to prepare for vehicle redesigns. [41] Teradata, which focuses on databases and data warehousing, has about 450 employees locally and about 6,000 worldwide. "We do have employees in Japan and have been reaching out to others since early this morning," said Bruce Langos, chief operations officer of Miami Twp. -based Teradata. "We are still in the process of doing this but have not been advised of any injuries at this point." Christine Alberti, a LexisNexis spokeswoman, said the company has employees in Japan, but she wasn't certain how many. "I think we have all employees accounted for," she said. [40] The company's head office in Yokohoma, Japan has not been affected, though employee safety precautions are underway. [11]
Patrick Higgins, a spokesman for YSI, Inc. based in Yellow Springs, said in an e-mail to the Dayton Daily News that the company's two offices in Japan, Kawasaki City and Tokyo, are "OK." "They reported damage to shelves and items scattered about inside but everyone is OK," Higgins wrote. Jill Kelley contributed to this story. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@'''DaytonDailyNews.com. [40] The 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, causing deaths and damage to the northeast and panic as far south as Tokyo, with an ensuing tsunami devastating coastal areas. Truck maker Volvo AB (VOLV-B.SK) was among those worst hit as its main facility. [51] "During the overnight hours in the Americas, northern Japan was hit with an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, and numerous tsunamis are causing heavy damage across the Pacific coastline in Asia. [31]
The 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, causing deaths and damage to the northeast and panic as far south as Tokyo, with an ensuing tsunami devastating coastal areas. [50] Many of us woke up this morning to some devastating news coming out of Japan where an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the cost, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo. [8] Japanese companies and funds trading in New York opened lower Friday after a massive earthquake slammed northern Japan, triggering tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean. [15] The Japanese financial index dropped about 2% after news of the tsunami which is less than the 7.5% drop it suffered following a devasting 1995 earthquake to the island's center. [54]
Tokyo A Japanese company factories severely damaged by the 8.9 Richter scale earthquake and tsunami struck the country sunrise. [18]
The company was unsure when production would resume. Honda would close its r&d; center and the Sayama and Suzuka factories at least through Monday, Yamamoto said. [2] A research and development center has been affected and automotive factories have been shut down, said Ron Lietzke, a spokesman for Honda of America in Marysville. [40]
Honda shut down two assembly plants immediately after the temblor, spokesman Keitaro Yamamoto said. [2] The earthquake, which measured 8.9 on the Richter scale, and the 10-metre high tsunami, has shut down ports, power plants and refineries. [19] An aircraft factory and power products plant in Tochigi prefecture also was shut down. [5]
Ron Lietzke, spokesman for Marysville-based Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. ]] , said Honda plants in Tochigi, Saitama and Hamamatsu will be closed today and Monday. [23] In addition to the Tochigi plant, two other Honda plants are temporarily closed. [41]
Production at two Honda plants was halted before resuming shortly afterward at one, the report said. [36] Nissan said plants would stay closed over the weekend. It will decide whether to resume production on Monday after assessing the quake damage. [2] Production was suspended at least nine production plants across the country as automakers assessed the damage from the quake. [1]
The company's Suzuka plant, which builds the CR-Z, Insight, and Fit, was briefly idled during the earthquake but has reportedly resumed production. [7] Major chip fabrication plants appeared not to be directly hit by the earthquake, though analysts said power disruptions threatened to halt production. [15]
The massive earthquake in Japan will disrupt auto production in the beleaguered nation, but exactly how long it will last is uncertain. [55] The fallout from the quake and the ensuing tsunami as created concern within the auto industry, as production in and shipments from Japan have been impacted by the tragic events. [13]
Our MD & CEO Shinzo Nakanishi is traveling along with other Japanese executives and hence is not in a position to speak," Puneet Dhawan, Maruti Suzuki's official spokesperson told MiD DAY from New Delhi. According to industry sources, Maruti Suzuki imports a sizeable portion of its components as well as completely built units (CBUs) from Japan, despite considerable local manufacturing, and is supposed to be a major gainer from the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between India and Japan. Therefore, any possible disruption in supplies could affect the company as imported auto components give it a cost advantage over products of other auto companies. [24] Delta Air Lines said it is waiving change fees for customers whose travel plans might have been thrown off course by the earthquake. The company says those on Delta-ticketed flights to, from or through airports in Japan today through March 15 may make a one-time change for travel with the same origin and destination as long as new flights are ticketed and rescheduled. [26]
The unidentified 43-year-old worker was crushed by a collapsing wall caused by the earthquake off the east coast of Japan. Another 30 workers were reported injured. [29] The publication reported that Toyota said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. [1] Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. [2]
Nissan Motor Co. also suspended operations at factories throughout eastern Japan. [2] Nissan didn't receive any damage, but little fires broke out at 2 of its manufacturing facilities, which we're quickly extinguished (only two employees were hurt). They will be closing its factories until Sunday. [21] Honda added that more than 30 employees at several facilities in the same prefecture are injured. [20] An additional 30 employees were injured in areas of the plant, said Ron Lietzke, Honda's spokesman in Ohio. [41] Some Honda plants have closed in Japan, and will remain closed through Monday. [49] The tsunami that struck Japan in the early morning on Friday resulted in several Toyota plant closures. [13] Toyota has two part plants in northern Japan. The status of those plants was being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said. [8] Possible damage was still being assessed. Toyota was also confirming damage at its suppliers. Toyota Boshoku Corp. and Denso Corp., two of Toyota's biggest parts makers, both reportedly suffered some plant damage. [2]
The Yaris is made at Toyota'''s Miyagi Prefecture plant, which has capacity of 120,000 units per year. The immediate status of those plants was still being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said. [28]
"We are presently gathering information on Central Motor Corporation and Kanto Auto Works," said a company release. The automaker says it has restarted its plants in Hokkaido, Tohoku, the Miyagi Plant, and its Kanto Auto Works Iwate Plant. [26] A refurbished electric-drive Smart Fourtwo adds sparkle to a pan-European art band's installation in Berlin. A number of plants remain closed on Friday, as automakers assess the extent of damage to their facilities. [47] "Operations after Monday, March 14, for all plants and facilities including the Global Headquarters will be decided after all assessments including suppliers, are conducted March 12. [26] Since train services were still suspended, several thousands of people were still stuck in the parks. In other industries, oil refiner Cosmo Oil Co. (5007.TO) said fire-fighters are still trying to extinguish a major fire at is refinery plant in Chiba near Tokyo, while Kirin Holdings Co. said it halted operations at its brewery in Miyagi. Major steel maker JFE Steel Corp., a unit of JFE Holdings Inc. (5411.TO), said its steel plant in Chiba located adjacent to the Cosmo refinery plant is safe, denying earlier reports that a fire broke out at the plant. [20] The affected vehicles were shipped from assembly plants with working monitoring systems, but when accessory wheels were installed, the systems were not recalibrated and now lights to warn drivers of low tyre pressure may fail, the report said. [42]
The plant at Sayama, which makes several Honda and Acura models for export, remains closed. [5] The Sayama plant makes several U.S.-bound models. It sends the Fit small car, the Accord sedan and the CR-V crossover to the United States, as well as the Acura RL and Acura TSX, Yamamoto said. [2] Toyota, which last week recalled 2.17 million vehicles for floor mats that may jam accelerator pedals, claimed three of the top 10 picks, the most of any automaker. Toyota's RAV4 is the top small sport-utility vehicle, its Prius is the top environmentally friendly car for the eighth consecutive year, and its Sienna is the top family hauler. [53]
Operations in Japan exported 199,445 vehicles to North America last year, up 37.8 percent from 2009. [23] "Honda's operations in North America and globally will do everything we can to support the recovery of Honda's operations in Japan," Sipes said. [46] "There's no immediate impact on our operation in Ohio and North America," Lietzke said. Most Honda vehicles sold in the United States are built in this country. [41]
We are also currently assessing the situation at our suppliers, dealers and the impact on North American import vehicles. Toyota's number one priority is to support our employees at TMC, our partner companies, suppliers and dealers through this situation. [39] LexisNexis has many North American administrative functions based in Miami Twp., where the company has about 3,000 employees. [40] "So far, there are no reports of employee casualties and employee safety precautions are underway at all locations," said a company statement. [26]
Some of our Indian employees in the manufacturing section are away in Japan training for our small car project in India. [24] Getty Images Car makers transport autos to the U.S. from Japan in giant, specialzed ships. [10] Incidentally, Toyota Kirloskar Motors is also dependent on auto components as well as CBUs shipped from Japan. Besides, Toyota also plans to import engines and transmission systems for its Etios platform from Thailand or Japan (see box). [24] Honda was followed by Subaru with 73 points and Toyota Motor Corp. with 71 points. [53] Currently, Toyota Motor Compotation (TMC) has established a company-wide emergency task force to assess the situation and take initial measures. [39]
Nissan Motor Company is still collecting the damage data. This entry was posted on Friday, March 11th, 2011 at 9:03 am and is filed under Raw News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. [25] A spokesman for the French automaker told Dow Jones Newswires that Renault only imports a small number of 3.5-liter gasoline engines from Nissan, and added it was too early to assess the impact of the earthquake on the company. [48] Economists say the earthquake and tsunami could have a "profound" impact on Japans economy - the worlds third largest - although it is too early to make any judgements. They say the damage is unlikely to be as bad as the 1995 Kobe earthquake. [19] It's difficult to comprehend, let alone describe, the massive amount of damage an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and closely following tsunami could incur on a densely packed island nation such as Japan. While we struggle to wrap our minds around such catastrophic levels of destruction, one particular image strikes a chord with us auto-obsessive types. Clearly, the leveling of a couple hundred automobiles pales in comparison to the actual loss of lives caused by Japan's most recent natural disaster, but, in automotive terms at least, this is the kind of image that can make a big impression on our often one-track minds. [52] The 8.9 magnitude earthquake caused a devastating tsunami to strike an area in north Japan ]] Japan which represents 2% of the nation's economy. [54]
All major ports in Japan were also shut down as a result of the earthquake, potentially further delaying North American exports. [9]
'The earthquake which hit Japan earlier today was one of the largest ever recorded and is a major catastrophe for the nation,' read a Honda statement. [29] The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan Friday has caused death and destruction throughout the country. [6] The offshore earthquake hit Japan Friday afternoon, measuring a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale and triggering a tsunami. [22]
Japanese automakers and other manufacturers have been hit hard by a ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded Friday, according to reports. [6] Subaru has the highest average road-test score - 81 - as measured by the magazine. While the Japanese automaker only markets a half-a-dozen models, they all do well in Consumer Reports' road tests and nearly all are reliable. [53]
Honda and Subaru topped Consumer Reports' annual rankings of automakers for 2011, while better reliability and enhanced resale values helped Ford to improve the most since last year. [53] In the latest report, Honda garnered 21 percent support, barely behind Toyota and Chevrolet but trailing Ford by 8 percentage points. Despite its finish in the overall rankings, Honda took the top spot in some individual categories. [44] Toyota initiated the recalls, the first two with the assistance of the NHTSA, after reports that several vehicles experienced unintended acceleration. [42] The first recall, on November 2, 2009, was to correct a possible incursion of an incorrect or out-of-place front driver's side floor mat into the foot pedal well, which can cause pedal entrapment. The second recall, on January 21, 2010, was begun after some crashes were shown not to have been caused by floor mat incursion. This latter defect was identified as a possible mechanical sticking of the accelerator pedal causing unintended acceleration, referred to as Sticking Accelerator Pedal by Toyota. The original action was initiated by Toyota in their Defect Information Report, dated October 5, 2009, amended January 27, 2010. [42]
The next day, Toyota widened the recall to include 1.8 million vehicles in Europe and 75,000 in China. [42] As of January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. Approximately 1.7 million vehicles are subject to both. [42]
Doors that could catch fire, brakes that could fail and accelerators that could stick have caused Chrysler Group Llc to recall nearly 600,000 vehicles involving five models in the United States, U.S. safety regulators said on Monday. [42] Sales of multiple recalled models were suspended for several weeks as a result of the accelerator pedal recall, with the vehicles awaiting replacement parts. [42]
Latest in Safety Honda minivan and 3 large GM SUV models earn 2011 TOP SAFETY PICK award After earning the top rating of good for roof strength, the Honda Odyssey minivan, and 3 large GM. Recall: Over 20,000 Jeep Wranglers for steering issue Chrysler announced today that is recalling at least 20,000 2010-2011 Jeep Wranglers over potential. [28]
Some new Honda models have been unimpressive, the magazine said, including the new CR-Z coupe and Insight hybrids. [53] Honda, meanwhile, has called back 36,656 Civic hybrids from the 2006 and 2007 model years after complaints that a faulty voltage converter could interrupt electrical signals to the headlights and engine. [42] The 500 special-edition models represent the first Fiat vehicles to be sold in the U.S. since 1984," Fiat says. He recently took delivery of his Prima Edizione at Fiat of Gaithersburg in Maryland. "I've been waiting almost 28 years for this model to arrive, so I would drive anywhere, anytime for this Fiat 500," Fiat quotes him as saying. [16] We've always had a weakness at Drive On for any car with a fin, the more useless, the better. What is this car? Can you tell us the year, make and model? DON'T ANSWER HERE. Rather go to Drive On's Forum by clicking here, the only place we look for official answers to the Mystery Car. [16]
The earthquake is said to be the fifth largest in the world since 1900 and the biggest in Japan in a 140 years. [9] A major earthquake, which occurred off of the Northeast coast of Japan on Friday, causing a killer tsunami that took the lives of hundreds of people has already affected businesses on multiple continents. [13] If you would like to help support victims affected by the Japan Earthquake and the Pacific Tsunami'' please visit American Read Cross here. [8]
Japan's transport system has been left devastated following Friday's earthquake and tsunami that have cost hundreds of lives and left thousands more homeless. [32]
Tsunami warnings were issued across nearly all of the Pacific region with the first waves reaching the U.S. mainland late in the day although earlier fears for islands such as Hawaii were confounded as smaller waves caused some damage but were minor in comparison to those that hit Japan. [32] There is no damage that hit the trade facilities and operations are now gradually to normal after the earthquake. [18] Damage was widespread in the Tochigi area, where Honda has a number of operations. [49] More than 30 Honda associates were injured in the Tochigi area from collapsing ceilings and other damage. [27]
Honda can confirm that there has been one fatality at Honda R&D; Co. Ltd in Tochigi prefecture. At this time, 30 injuries have also been reported. [1]
Suzuka operated Friday, will not be in production Monday. This factory produces Japan Fit, Civic, Civic Hybrid, Insight and Honda CR-Z (all hybrid models). [49] "Traders are primarily buying put options, perhaps as a hedge against existing long stock positions in case of a prolonged shutdown in their automotive and parts production facilities in Japan," said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of stock and options website optionMonster.com in Chicago. [17] "While some production will restart quickly, other facilities may take longer," reported Efraim Levy, Standard & Poor's Equity Research analyst for auto manufacturers and parts analyst. [27]
Tom Schockman, Motoman chief financial officer, said the earthquake happened north of the corporate parent's production facilities. He said it was too soon to know of potential supply issues. "Right now, we're not aware of any issues, but time will tell," he said. [40]
For now though, the opportunities to shift production to the U.S. seem "limited," according to an analyst speaking with Automotive News. [17]
Yeah @Dr Greenthumb, BBC News here in the UK just panned across the lot from above. hundreds and hundreds of Skylines, Skyline Crossovers, Fairlady Zs, Fugas, Muranos, Infiniti Ms, Gs, FXs and EXs burning brightly through the dawn. The thing is though that compared to other fires shown (the oil refinery, the petrochemical plant, the entire city of Kesennuma to name a few) this Nissan fire is tiny. [52] Company officials in San Antonio say that there is no immediate impact to the local plant. [13]
As soon as word broke about the quake, information was flowing out to local dealers about what damage the company had sustained. "Toyota has confirmed that there has been no injuries at their headquarters offices and at their manufacturing facility," says Atkinson. [35] Toyota's string of bad luck seems to be continuing, if not purely at the hands of quake or tsunami damage. [17]
Paul Atkinson is the owner of Atkinson Toyota. He's also the president of the Toyota National Dealership Council and works closely with the car makers Tokyo head-quarters. [35] "Certainly very scary and a big wake-up call about how Tokyo has not yet had the 'big one' that is predicted sometime in the near future." Wendy's International, which announced this month that it is returning to Japan, said its plan to open more than 71 restaurants will proceed despite the earthquake. [41] A magnitude 8.9 earthquake recorded off the coast of Japan shook the island nation earlier this morning. As the most violent natural disaster ever witnessed by the country, its lasting effects have wreaked havoc on the lives of millions, to say nothing of the nation's domestic auto industry. [7] Significant infrastructure damage also has a damning effect on the shipment of auto parts coming in from Japan. [9] A key factor still to be determined is whether the Japanese ports from which the auto companies ship vehicles and parts will be able to resume operations soon. [55] The rankings by Consumer Reports influence car buyers and are published in the magazine's annual auto issue. Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union, uses vehicle owner reliability surveys from 1.3 million people, government and insurance-industry crash tests and its own evaluations of how vehicles function for its ratings. [53] Currently, Consumer Reports recommends 76 percent of the Honda vehicles it has tested. [53] Honda Motor Co. posted the best overall score of 74 out of 100 points in the Consumer Reports' ranking. [53] According to the article, seven reports of stalling have been sent to Honda, along with 82 other related warranty claims. MSNBC explains that owners of these Civic hybrids should contact the company at 1-800-999-1009 and press four. [43]
Honda says the 42-year-old male employee died and more than 30 others were injured when walls and parts of a ceiling crumbled. [4] Honda said that in some situations, a part known as the ignition interlock lever could fail. That device is intended to keep drivers from removing their key from the ignition when the vehicle has not been put in park. [42]
When asked specifically about possible disruptions in the supply chain of auto components and CBUs, a Honda India spokesperson said, "There may be some impact. It would be difficult to specify anything at this point. [24] The quake's impact on operations at Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Mazda will be reported as news becomes available. [47] "We have just recently announced our new joint-venture partnership in Japan and currently have no restaurants in operation in the country." Dispatch reporters Marla Matzer Rose and Tracy Turner contributed to this story. [41] Of the major global supplier firms with operations in Japan, only Denso is reporting damage at one factory. [17] Mazda, which is located in Hiroshima (south eastern tip of Japan) announced it will remain operations as normal since most of the damage was done in the northeast of the country. [21]
More than damage at any one firm, though, what's driving the market fears seems to be worries about Japans road, power and port infrastructure. Even if the factories themselves are fine, they still have to get their products to market. [17]
Macqarie Economics Research said that the epicentre of the latest earthquake was well offshore, while in 1995 it was very close to the city of Kobe. It also suggested that the area most affected by this disaster was less important economically than Kobe, which was one of Japans most important ports. Capital Economics said that Japan was now "much better prepared for this kind of disaster than it was in 1995". [19] The earthquake's total impact to Japan's economy may not be measurable for some time, although history provides some context. [22]
"Nissan's team in the America's will monitor the operational status of our Japan facilities through the weekend for any scheduling updates." [12] In a brief e-mail sent to a number of friends after the quake on Friday, Simon Sproule, Nissan's vice president of global marketing communications, said: "Things rather chaotic in Japan. [1] The quake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time off the coast of Sendai north of the capital, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. [2] The city of Sendai in the north of Japan, which was the worst hit by the disaster, saw fires break out and its port overrun by the tidal wave. [19] Any Japanese companies with a weak technical picture are going to be more vulnerable in the next few weeks. Big economic hit like this can really mess with Japan's economic recovery. [15] The iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund, an exchange-traded fund that tracks Japanese stocks, fell 1.8% to $10.80 in recent trading on NYSE Arca exchange. [15]
The company said that as of Friday morning (EST) it had established a company-wide emergency task force to "assess the situation and take initial measures," vis a vis the earthquake and tsunami that ensued. [26] Further afield an oil refinery near Tokyo caught fire, causing a massive blaze. Activity at the major port in the nearby city of Yokohama has been disrupted by the earthquake, suffering a loss of power at its terminal. "At the moment they are trying to get power back but its unlikely to happen today," said Boon Lee Lur of shipping company Neptune Orient Lines. [19]
Automakers are saying that, in spite of the earthquake and consequent force majeur of operations, they will likely be back online by next week. [26] If the voltage converter that sends power to the car's electrical mechanisms from the motor assist system fails, says Thomas, the headlights could turn off or the car could stall during operation. [43] Nissan North America Manager of Corporate Communications Brian Brockman said operations in the United States should continue unfazed. [12] Nissan said the car would go 100 miles between charges, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rated Leaf as having a realistic range of 73 miles. [16] The number of alleged victims and reported problems sharply increased following the recall announcements, which were heavily covered by U.S. media, although the causes of individual reports were difficult to verify. [42]
We got a tsunami here on Maui that shut the island for a day(so far.) I think this a story about an Earthquake that concludes in factorys being shut down. [2]
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32. Video: Japanese earthquake reaps transport chaos and devastation - Autoblog UK
33. Japanese Quake Shuts Down Production - Motorcycle USA
34. Japan Quake Halts Nissan Output; One Killed, Dozens Injured at Honda Site
35. Local Toyota Dealership Monitoring Japan Earthquake
36. Japan Quake Shuts Auto Plants - TheStreet
37. Quake, Tsunami Spur Japan Bears to Action - WSJ.com
38. MediaPost Raw » Blog Archive » Toyota Factories Shuttered In Japan
39. Toyota Releases Statement Regarding Earthquake And Tsunami In Japan | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky
40. Business impact of quake assessed in area
41. Most of Honda's Ohioans working in Japan accounted for | The Columbus Dispatch
42. Daily Independent
43. More Recalls for Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota | Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury | Resources for TBI & SCI
44. KBB: Honda slips in shoppers''' eyes | Business First
45. New Honda CR-V and Honda Fit/Jazz in 2011 Honda's Roadmap | Fastmotoring
46. The Republic Mobile - Honda plants in Japan closed until Monday - Columbus, Indiana
47. Wheelies: Japan Earthquake Disrupts Vehicle Production - NYTimes.com
48. Renault Profits At Risk If Earthquake Hits Nissan's Earnings - WSJ.com
49. OFFICIAL HONDA PRESS RELEASE: EARTHQUAKE IMPACT ON HONDA OPERATIONS | News | Motocross Action Magazine
50. 2nd UPDATE: Foreign Businesses Hit By Japan Earthquake - WSJ.com
51. CORRECT: Foreign Businesses Hit By Japan Earthquake - WSJ.com
52. Tsunami in Japan destroys fleet of cars ready for shipping *Updated with video -- Autoblog
53. Daily Independent
54. VIDEO: Japan tsunami's economic impact uncertain | Alabama's 13
55. Japan quake: Effect of Japan quake on automakers unlikely to be felt soon in U.S. - latimes.com
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