Contact:
Julian Mattocks
Phone: +43-1-81140-308
E-Mail: mattocks@pressetext.com
| Pressbox | 
|
Tokyo (pte045/14.02.2005/15:00) - Japanese electronics giant Toshiba http://www.tosiba.co.jp has announced that it will start supplying semiconductors to Toyota for use in petrol-electric hybrid cars. As the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) http://www.wsj.com reports, this will pry open the market that is dominated so far by Mitsubishi. It will be the first time that Toshiba has supplied the semiconductors for hybrid cars, which have become a promising product for both car manufacturers and suppliers of electrical components. According to a company spokeswoman, the electronics company is in talks with Toyota to decide the timing of shipment and quantity of the semiconductor supply.
Although the move by Toshiba will increase competition with Mitsubishi, the amount of orders from Toyota is unlikely to decline as the hybrid-vehicle market is growing fast. In 2004, Toyota globally sold around 125,700 of its hybrid model, Prius. It hopes to boost hybrid-vehicle sales this year up to 300,000 vehicles. According to a Mitsubishi official, the company supplies its hybrid-vehicle semiconductors to Toyota and Honda.
The semiconductors to be supplied by Toshiba control the electric current between electric motors, generators and rechargeable batteries. Toshiba will also supply semiconductors for changing revolutions of the electric motor. Toshiba is keen to expand on production of automotive parts, investing around 10 billion yen (72.9 million euros) in three years from this fiscal year ending March to build a production line in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, to make semiconductors for vehicles. Toshiba aims to double its turnover from automatic products to 200 billion yen (1.47 billion euros) in three years from the fiscal year ended March 2004.
(end)
|
|
