Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, is to speak on the morning news and talk program before holding a conference call with other media organizations, said a company official who declined to be identified because the plan isnt public. Lentz may also appear on Bloomberg Television.
The TV appearances will be the first for a U.S. audience after the automaker ran an informational ad in newspapers today and President Akio Toyoda gave a 75-second apology last week in Davos, Switzerland, in contrast with other Japanese - - - - >

“I am deeply sorry that were giving cause for concern to customers,” Toyoda said in an interview yesterday with Japans NHK television network in Davos, Switzerland, posted to U.S. broadcaster ABC News Web site. “Were preparing to explain the facts to our customers as soon as we can so that we can remove that anxiety.”
The worlds largest automaker, founded by Toyodas grandfather in 1937, has discussed its strategy with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman. He didnt have details on - - - - >

“India will play a pivotal role in Toyotas global expansion plans,” Vice Chairman Kazuo Okamoto said today at the Delhi Auto Show. “The time has come for us to strategically accelerate our growth here.”
Toyota, General Motors Co. and Honda Motor Co. all unveiled new models at the show, threatening Suzukis goal of maintaining a 50 percent share of a market likely to double by 2015, according to the government. Automakers are boosting investments in India and China, likely the worlds biggest auto market last year, as - - - - >

“There will be more choices and some of Suzukis market share will be eaten up,” said Puneet Gupta, a New Delhi-based analyst at consultant CSM Worldwide Inc. Maruti, the Indian unit of Hamamatsu, Japan-based Suzuki, may lose up to 5 percentage points in the next two years, he said.
The carmakers will unveil the models at the Delhi auto show starting tomorrow to attract Indias 50 million middle-class consumers. Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG are all building plants and introducing new cars in - - - - >

Dassault Systemes rose as much as 7.6 percent in Paris, the biggest intraday gain in three months, after unveiling plans to buy the IBM business that sells and supports its Product Lifecycle Management software, including customer contracts. IBM, the worlds biggest computer-services company, and Dassault Systemes aim to complete the deal by the second quarter of next year, the companies said in a statement today.
“Its an excellent financial operation,” Aurel BGC in Paris wrote in a note to investors. “It unifies the channels of distribution for - - - - >

Besides the top-selling Camry sedan and hybrid Prius, Toyota Motor Corp. Tuesday announced South Korean sales of its Camry hybrid and the RAV4, a compact SUV. Japanese automakers Honda Motor co. and Nissan Motor Co. have also entered the South Korean market in recent years.
Toyota has been active in South Korea since 2000 when it established a local arm and began selling the luxury Lexus the following year. Now the company is offering a broader range of choices to South Korean drivers under the Toyota brand, and aims to sell a total of 500 vehicles a month this year and - - - - >

Carmakers absorbed the costs to develop advanced vehicles to meet state requirements, Kevin Webber, Toyotas U.S. general manager for regulation and certification engineering, said in comments filed last week with the California Public Utilities Commission. “Any societal benefit from the low-carbon-fuel aspect of these vehicles, especially the generation of credits, must accrue to the auto manufacturer,” he said.
The most populous U.S. state begins a program next year to cut carbon intensity of transportation fuels 10 percent by 2020 to pare emissions of gases linked to climate - - - - >

GM, Toyota, Honda Motor Co. and Daimler AG say durability improvements and cost reductions may enable them to sell the zero-emission vehicles by 2015. Costs to make the fuel-cell cars have fallen from $1 million each a few years ago, and automakers are working to meet a proposed goal of slashing the premium for the cars to $3,600 more than a midsized gasoline model.
As the federal government, utilities, cities and states plan charging infrastructure for battery cars, hydrogen fueling stations are also needed, automakers say. While - - - - >

But with both companies exiting bankruptcy with the federal government as a major shareholder, that promise will be put to the test as the task force shifts roles from negotiator to owner.
The government could face a number of pitfalls: It could be tempted to insert itself into the day-to-day operations or sway management if auto sales continue to slide and carmakers financial woes continue. Lawmakers may try to use the governments ownership as a way to push their own interests, such as making more fuel efficient cars. And the administration will need to sell its stake as quickly as possible.
“I - - - - >

The new GM will emerge from bankruptcy as soon as today with just four car lines, down from eight, aiming for 18.5 percent of the U.S. auto market. Those four surviving brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, accounted for 16.5 percent of the market in June, according to Autodata Corp. Fords share was 17.2 percent, excluding Volvo, which it is selling.
Surpassing GM would validate Fords strategy to go it alone and spurn government aid. While GM and Chrysler LLC seek to change themselves through bankruptcy, Ford - - - - >