Honda, Nissan and Toyota Donate $3.75 Million Each for Earthquake Relief in Japan

The massive earthquake followed by the even more devastating tsunami that struck the north-east coasts of Japan last week has brought together the country’s biggest automakers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which announced today that they will donate $3.75 million each for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.

In addition to the contribution in money, Nissan said it is also studying further relief efforts including complimentary provision of vehicles, such as trucks and forklifts, donation of medical supplies and daily commodities including blankets, antiseptics and masks, gift matching donation from Nissan employees, promotion, and support of blood donation activities.

Honda announced that it will donate a total of 1,000 power generators along with 5,000 gas canisters to the people left without electricity, while Toyota is considering the provision of goods and services as needed.

The three automakers have also announced the closure of some of their factories in Japan. From March 14 through March 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants in Sayama, Saitama, Ogawa, Tochigi, Hamamatsu and Suzuka, plus all facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious. From March 15 through 20, Honda will also suspend production at the Kumamoto factory.

Nissan announced that operations at the Tochigi and Iwaki plants are suspended until March 18, while the Oppama, Kyushu, Shatai and Yokohama plants will be closed until March 16. As for Toyota, officials announced that the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Miyagi and Iwate plants are closed, with all employees having been evacuated to safe areas. The factories will remain closed at least until March 16.

Other automakers affected by the earthquake include Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki, which have either suspended or slowed down production because of supply shortages.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

VIDEO: Japanese Tsunami Sweeps Cars as if They Were Toys

Images coming from Japan today are horrific and it's only in moments like these that we're reminded what an overwhelming force nature really is. If cars are to blame for global warming, then what you will see in the videos after the break could be interpreted as nature's revenge on automobiles.

The massive tidal wave triggered by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake swept everything in its path along the northern and eastern coasts of Japan, creating biblical scenes like these, in which the tide took cars, boats and all sorts of debris away as if they were toys. Surprisingly, despite the massive earthquake and tons of debris from the tsunami, the bridge stood motionless.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEOS

Toyota and Honda Plants Shut Down After 8.9 Earthquake and Mega Tsunami Hit Japan

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit the northeast part of Japan earlier this morning triggering a 10-meter high tsunami on the coasts of the country sweeping away homes, cars and buildings. The disastrous earthquake, which was followed by many aftershocks, is said to be the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the biggest in Japan in 140 years.

The full extent of damages caused by the earthquake and the ferocious tsunami remain unknown for now, but we’re already hearing news of people being evacuated and many homes and factories destroyed.

On the automotive front, Toyota and Honda were forced to shut down some of their production plants and evacuate their workers from several factories in the quake zone. According to reports, Toyota, which has a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, was affected the most with the shutdown possibly affecting production of cars like the Yaris sedan and the Scion xB and xD models.

Honda initially closed down both its Suzuka and Sayama plants, but production at the first factory resumed shortly after. The Sayama plant, which manufactures the US-bound Fit among other models, remains closed.

Sources: Autonews , Youtube

VIDEO

Nissan Qashqai Surpasses 1 Million Sales Milestone

Nissan's well-received Qashqai model has just passed the 1,000,000 sales mark after four years in production. The compact crossover model, which is also known as the Dualis in Japan and Australia and other markets, was designed and engineered in Britain. Introduced in 2007, Nissan expanded the crossover's range with the presentation of the seven-seater, long-wheelbase version called the Qashqai+2 in 2008, while the entire series received an update in March 2010 with a refreshed design and powertrain refinements.

The Qashqai is currently manufactured in Nissan's Sunderland factory in the UK, the Kyushu factory in Japan, and in Dongfeng Nissan’s Huadu Plant and Zhengzhou Nissan’s No. 2 Plant in China. Britain is by far the largest producer of the Qashqai, with more than 800,000 of the 1,000,000 being made in Sunderland.

As far as sales are concerned, Europe leads the way with a total of 759,370 units, 111,088 of which are from the UK, followed by Italy with 103,647 units.

"Qashqai is clearly the pioneer when it comes to ‘Compact Crossovers’, setting the trend that others in the industry follow," said Guillaume Masurel, Nissan's Global Chief Marketing Manager for Qashqai. "Its balance of key SUV attributes like robust design, roomy interior and higher driving position combined with the benefits of a hatchback such as great fuel economy, compactness and driving dynamics, resonates well with customers around the world."

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Toyota Patents Designs of Sport Version of New Yaris in Europe

Toyota introduced a new generation of the Yaris supermini in Japan (named Vitz for the local market) in December, 2010, and is also planning to showcase a thinly disguised concept of an upcoming hybrid version of the supermini at the Geneva Motor Show, which will be held for the public from March 3 to 13. But as these trademark fillings from Europe prove, the company is also working on a sport variant, most likely as a replacement to the Yaris TS.

The model seen in these patent designs features a full body kit with a new front bumper that replaces the standard Yaris' front grille with openings next to the headlamps while also boasting daytime LED strips, side skirts and profile graphics, a redesigned rear bumper housing a prominent diffuser, and bespoke tail lamps. The new roof spoiler and the multispoke alloy wheels sum up the differences over the regular Yaris.

It only makes sense that if this is the new Yaris TS, it will get a more powerful engine, hopefully something with a bit more oomph than the current model's lackluster 133HP 1.8-liter gasoline engine. Toyota will also upgrade the car's suspension and brake systems to improve handling.

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Honda Officially Announces Fit / Jazz Shuttle, Sales Start in Japan this March

Less than a month ago, we broke the story on the leaked brochure of the Honda Fit Shuttle. Today, the Japanese automaker came out with an official announcement revealing a cropped image of the car and stating that the larger and more practical version of the Fit (otherwise known as the Jazz) will go on sale in Japan this March.

The new Fit Shuttle will be available in Japan with a similar engine lineup to the hatchback version including a conventional 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a hybrid variant featuring a 1.3 liter gasoline unit and a 10 KW electric motor.

Honda did not say whether the Fit Shuttle will be offered exclusively in Japan or if it will make its way to other markets as well. Follow the break for more pictures.

Source: Honda via WFC

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