TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that on September 1 it will begin leasing its new fuel cell hybrid vehicle model, the “TOYOTA FCHV-adv*”, to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.

TMC also plans to lease the TOYOTA FCHV-adv, which improves on the cruising distance and low-temperature startup performance of the previously leased “TOYOTA FCHV”, to other national government entities, local governments and companies in or related to the energy industry.  Lease terms are 840,000 yen (including tax) per month for 30 months.

By leasing its fuel cell hybrid vehicles, TMC—which became the world’s first automaker to commercialize a fuel cell vehicle when it began leasing the TOYOTA FCHV in Japan in December 2002—can obtain real-world feedback for further development, including efforts to improve the durability and reduce the cost of its proprietary high-performance polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the Toyota FC Stack.

This leasing, as well as TMC’s participation in other cooperative efforts with the government, the energy industry and other parties concerned is aimed at helping to bring about the widespread use of fuel cell vehicles.

Source: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today announced global production, as well as domestic sales and export figures for July 2008.

Source: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

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Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of July 2008, including all-time records for production in regions outside Japan and worldwide for the month of July. Production in Japan for the month of July 2008 experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in 11 months (since August 2007). Production in regions outside of Japan experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in two months (since May 2008), setting an all-time record for the month of July. This includes record production in North America, the U.S., Asia, and China for the month of July.

Worldwide production experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in three months (since April 2008), setting an all-time record for the month of July.

Total Japan domestic market auto sales for the month of July 2008 experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in five months (since February 2008) due to strong sales of Fit and Freed.

New vehicle registrations experienced a year-on-year increase for the ninth consecutive month (since November 2007).

Sales of mini-vehicles experienced a year-on-year decrease for the fifth consecutive month (since March 2008).

Fit was the industry’s best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of July 2008, and for the ninth consecutive month (since November 2007) with sales of 16,293 units. Freed was the industry’s fourth best-selling car with sales of 8,948 units.

Life was the industry’s sixth best-selling car in the mini-vehicle category for the month of July 2008, with sales of 6,567 units.

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

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Tokyo - Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. lowered its fiscal 2008 forecast for worldwide hydraulic shovel demand, citing a faster-than-expected drop in Japan and Western Europe. The company, which earlier had projected a 6 per cent increase from fiscal 2007, now sees demand climbing just 4 per cent to 229,300 units. The biggest factor in the downward revision was Japan, where sales were expected to dip 4 per cent but are now projected to drop 15 per cent to 28,000 units.

In addition, construction booms in the U.K. and Spain have ended due to ripple effects from the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, so the demand outlook in Western Europe has been revised from an 8 per cent to a 15 per cent decrease.

On the other hand, the firm upped its forecasts for Russia, Latin America and other emerging markets and resource-rich regions, where demand remains robust. Hitachi Construction Machinery announces its hydraulic shovel outlook each quarter when it releases its earnings report.

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In the long-established midsummer’s endurance race, Round 6 of SUPER GT the “International POKKA 1000km” event took place on August 24th at Suzuka Circuit (1 lap: 5.807km). Starting from fourth on the grid, the CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (#12 Tsugio Matsuda/Sebastien Philippe) withstood the severe long-distance and about six hours’ racing to take the win. The NISSAN GT-R has now taken a total of four victories from six races in this season’s SUPER GT.

Setting the 2ND-quickest time in qualifying, the MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (#22 Michael Krumm/Masataka Yanagida/Dominik Schwager) inherited pole position when the #100 NSX had to start from the back, ahead of the 173-lap, 1,000-kilometre event. From the opening lap, veteran driver Michael Krumm led beautifully, handing over to Yanagida from the front as scheduled. Though he temporarily lost the lead due to being blocked by a GT300 car ahead, the team’s deft pit work ensured they soon returned to the head of the field. Krumm and Yanagida alternated driving duties, safeguarding their position until the halfway point of the race. On lap 118, third driver Dominik Schwager got behind the wheel. Soon after, the rear cowl suddenly started to come off the car, making for a very delicate situation. An unscheduled visit to the pits meant that regrettably, the machine fell out of contention for the win. However, the team fought relentlessly to the very end, and with Michael Krumm driving the final stint, reached fourth place at the flag.

Meanwhile, having started from fourth on the grid, the #12 GT-R experienced difficulty with the rear hub in the opening stages of the race, forcing an out-of-sequence pit stop on lap 25. Driver Matsuda went back out on track, returning to hand over to Philippe on lap 62 after having piloted the car since the start of the event. From that point on, the car continued to steadily bring down to the gap to its rivals in front. By lap 87, it was up to 2nd place. As the laps continued, the car strengthened its position in 2nd as Matsuda shortened the gap to the #100 NSX in front. At the car’s final stop on lap 138, Philippe once again took the wheel as the margin to the rival in the lead was reversed. Philippe never gave an inch, rising from 2nd place to the lead position with a calculated drive in front of 37,000 fans, to end his run on the centre step of the podium.

Source: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

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