December 7, 2019

　Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced its next-generation vehicle manufacturing concept, “Nissan Intelligent Factory,” and stated that it has developed a method for assembling different types of vehicles—including electric vehicles (EVs) and gasoline-powered cars—on a single production line. The company will invest approximately 33 billion yen in its Tochigi Plant in 2020 to upgrade its facilities and implement other improvements.

　It has also been reported that the three-company alliance consisting of Nissan, France’s Renault, and Mitsubishi Motors has begun discussions toward establishing a new company to jointly develop cutting-edge technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI) and connected cars—for next-generation vehicles.

　Yokosuka City, Keikyu Corporation, NTT Docomo, and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced that they will begin a demonstration project in December for “AI-powered buses” that integrate with systems at local commercial and medical facilities. The buses will link with apps for hospital appointment confirmations and coupon distribution.

　NEDO announced that it has begun developing an integrated mobility data platform capable of sharing and analyzing data from the different systems of multiple transportation operators, with the aim of realizing MaaS.

　Mobileye, a subsidiary of Intelthat develops image processing chips and other products, held a business briefing in Tokyo and announced plans to launch a taxi service using autonomous vehicles in Israel and other locations in 2022. The company also aims to introduce autonomous taxis in Japan.

　Valeo Japan and Gunma University’s Center for Research on the Implementation of Next-Generation Mobility (CRANTS) announced that they have jointly developed a test vehicle—a 48-volt, four-wheel-drive electric light truck—that enables electrification at a lower cost. Additionally, Sumitomo Rubber Industries announced that, through joint research with CRANTS, it has developed a system capable of remotely monitoring tire pressure in Level 4 autonomous vehicles.

　In China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released a draft plan to promote new energy vehicles (NEVs), such as electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs), raising the target share of NEVs in new vehicle sales to 25% by 2025—up from the previous target of 20%. A final decision is expected by the first half of 2020.

　Germany's BMW and China's Great Wall Motor have established Spotlight Automotive (Guangshu Automobile), a joint venture to produce electric vehicles under the "Mini" compact car brand, and held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant to be built in Jiangsu Province. The project will require an investment of 650 million euros (approximately 78 billion yen) and is scheduled for completion in 2022.

　South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company has announced its business strategy for 2025, stating that it will invest approximately 61 trillion won (about 5.6 trillion yen) over the six years starting in 2020, with about one-third of that amount allocated to the development of electric vehicles (EVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), and autonomous driving technology.

　Toyota Motor Corporation announced that Toyota Hainan Mobility, a company it established in Hainan Province, China, will launch mobility services such as car leasing and VIP transportation. Additionally, in the United States, May Mobility, a startup offering autonomous shuttle services, raised $50 million (approximately 5.4 billion yen) in a funding round led by Toyota.