recovering Archives

Update on Japanese automakers recovering from earthquake

Filed under: Japan, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

Prius production resumes, Honda further delays restarting plants

Japanese automaker news resulting from the March 11 earthquake is coming in fast and furious right now, so we’ve packaged the latest information in one convenient spot.

Toyota announced some good and bad news this week on the production front. The good news is that the company will resume limited production of the Prius, Lexus HS250h and CT 200h hybrids with all-new parts coming in. Eighteen other Toyota plants remain closed, however, through at least March 28, and the automaker has warned its assembly plants in North America that they could soon face parts shortages that interrupt production.

Honda has moved the restart date of its Japanese plants again from March 27 to April 3 or later. Among the vehicles affected are the Fit and CR-V. The company also says its research and development center will be closed for months due to extensive damage. Some of the work being done at the R&D facility has been moved to other Honda facilities in Japan.

Nissan restarted production in Japan on March 24, though the plants are using only existing parts stock with no new parts coming in. The company is studying whether its Tennessee engine plant could supply VQ V6 engines to Japan due to damages sustained at an engine plant in the quake zone. The automaker also lost 1,300 Infiniti models that were damaged at a Japanese port during the quake. CEO Carlos Ghosn claims 40 Japanese suppliers are still in trouble.

Mazda has been running some plants in Japan, though parts are starting to become scarce. The CX-7 and CX-9 are among the vehicles affected.

Subaru has postponed any production in Japan until at least March 28. In the U.S., the automaker has suspended overtime at its Indiana plant.

[Source: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: AP Photo/Koji Sasahara]

Update on Japanese automakers recovering from earthquake originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Update on Japanese automakers recovering from earthquake”

Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault

Robert Kubica arrives at Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, Italy

The Lotus Renault GP team has issued another update on the progress of its star pilot Robert Kubica. The Polish driver, for those who haven’t been following, crashed during the Ronde di Andorra in Italy on Sunday – just weeks before the start of the F1 season – and was airlifted to a local hospital where doctors treated him for multiple fractures and severed tendons in his right limbs.

With the bulk of the procedures now behind him, Kubica is conscious (some reports state that he was revived from a medically-induced coma), and conversing with his doctors as well as visiting relatives and colleagues. Later this week, Kubica will have to undergo additional surgery (for his right shoulder and foot), to be followed by another procedure a few days later. He’s expected to stay at the Santa Corona Hospital where he has been since the crash for another two or three weeks, after which he’ll likely be transfered to another location to rehabilitate, likely for between five months and a full year.

With his recovery underway but a long road ahead, Renault will need to find someone to temporarily take his place for the impending season. Although the team has both Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean – both recent F1 drivers – on contract, the team is reportedly examining all of its options. Among them are Force India drivers Tonio Liuzzi and Nico Hulkeberg, both of which raced last season and have proven themselves competitive drivers. Liuzzi lost his seat this year at Force India, while Hulkenberg took a test-driver role with the team when he lost his seat at Williams.

[Source: Lotus Renault GP, ESPN | Image: Silvio Fasano/AP]

Continue reading Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements

Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements”