Panasonic Corp just announced that it will pay $4.6 billion to take the reins at Sanyo Electric Company. With the two companies’ powers combined, the result will be one of the largest electronics makers in the world.
Panasonic will pay 403.78 billion yen ($4.6 billion) for 50.2 percent of Sanyo, paying 131 yen per share. The move will enable Panasonic to tap the Sanyo team’s expertise in terms of green technologies like solar panels and … Read the rest
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies has just released a new hybrid diesel/electric drivetrain, the Quantum Q-Force that can be used in both military and commercial vehicles. The drivetrain, which is the product of 6 years of development, will make its debut in a new hybrid military Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV).
The drivetrain design includes several features that improve efficiency, minimizing both fuel consumption and battery size.
In a press release, President and CEO Alan P. … Read the rest
Although Toyota’s Blue Springs, Mississippi plant is 90% done and the company has invested over $300 million into it, the company has decided to put the project on hold due to the economic collapse, which has caused the bottom to drop out of the US auto market. Since even hybrids aren’t selling well at the moment, Toyota has put the plant on hold "indefinitely."
CLSA’s Tokyo-based analyst, Christopher Richter, commented on the decision:
… Read the rest"With the
Toyota released its 2nd quarter financial results today. Net revenues for the first two quarters decreased 6.3% compared to last year, to 12.19 trillion yen. Operating income decreased sharply, falling 54.2% to 582 billion yen. Net income also dropped, falling 47.6% to 493.4 billion yen. Vehicle sales also decreased by 51,000 vehicles compared to last year, with reported sales for the second quarter of 2008 coming in at 4.25 million.
With everything that’s going … Read the rest