In the eternal race for the biggest producer cars the holy Toyota is already running convincingly Volkswagen. Why? Hiro Takahashi knows the answer, reports Deutsche says.
Hiro Takahashi (80) knows where the eater is. Professor Emeritus of Economics published a new book at the beginning of the year: "Cars are changing - Volkswagen's (VW) management strategy".
The Japanese spent several weeks researching in Wolfsburg for his new book.
Takahashi comes to the conclusion that Chinese electric cars are primarily the reason for the crisis in Volkswagen, and not necessarily their own mistakes in management.
In an interview with the German public service ARD in Tokyo, he said that he does not see Volkswagen on its knees at all.
Toyota sells more than ten million cars again
Still, it's worth looking at the current business figures of the world's two biggest carmakers.
Dok Volkswagen discussing factory closings, Toyota breaks record after record. It is likely to sell more than ten million vehicles again this year.
Last year, Toyota sold 11,2 million vehicles, and Volkswagen 9,2 million. It is followed by Korean Hyundai with 7,3 million.
Hybrid Toyotas cars have always been in particular demand, so a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Forty percent of all vehicles sold are hybrids.
Purely electric cars play virtually no role at all. Toyota sold just over 100.000 units last year streamer.
This is partly due to the fact that in Japan, on the domestic market, there are almost no options for charging vehicles. Germany has come a long way here.
Although it does not sound very future-oriented and especially modern, but this is precisely what deters the electric car manufacturers from China, which were discussed by the expert Takahashi, to invest heavily in Japan:
"Without infrastructure, there is no market for BYD (Build Your Dreams) and other Chinese manufacturers."
There is almost no political pressure in Japan
Hiro Takahashi does not believe that something will change so quickly. The political pressure to produce electric cars is not particularly strong in Japan, he explains.
The Japanese government's target is very cautiously formulated - all new cars sold should to have an electric motor by 2035.
Banning internal combustion engines is not in the plan, especially since hybrid vehicles would also fulfill this goal. "It is precisely in this matter that Japan's vehicle policy differs from Germany's," says Takahashi.
A very weak yen is also helping Toyota. Japanese cars are currently much cheaper than European or American ones.
Toyota is in particular demand in North America, where it sells almost a third of its cars. In America Volkswagen still has an image problem after the diesel scandal.
At the same time, Toyota dependence on the Chinese market is significantly less than Volkswagen.
The Wolfsburg-based concern sells about a third of all its cars in China – more than 3,2 million last year.
Toyota, on the other hand, sells only one in five vehicles produced in the world's largest car market. The Japanese manufacturer has sold 2023 million cars in China in 1,9.
Admiration of German manufacturers
German car brands are very popular in Japan. On the streets of Tokyo you see a lot of Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi and even Volkswagen – but almost never in an electric version.
Due to its long history, the German car industry is highly regarded in the Far Eastern country. The Japanese have great admiration for German cars, which Takahashi says can never be surpassed by cheap Chinese cars.
All in all, highly regarded by the Japanese car expert VolkswagenI would like to and Toyota copies something from Volkswagen, that is to produce more luxury cars, buses and trucks.
And he believes that the transition to pure electric car production could also serve as a model for Japan's largest automaker.
Consequences of strong competition
He tries to relativize the economic difficulties in Wolfsburg and the debate about closing factories:
"If you look at the global auto industry, this has happened over and over again. Take a look Ford i General Motors, they had to close their plants in the United States. Nisan has also fallen significantly.”
If competition grows, as is the case now with electric cars from China, then this will not be without consequences, says Takahashi.
Japanese manufacturers are currently successful also because of their traditionally extremely profitable production. The Japanese philosophy of life and work called "kaizen" is still an integral part of the genetic code of companies like Toyota.
"Not a day without improvement" is the motto.
