The merger of the two storied Japanese brands underlines the threat Chinese EV makers now pose to some of the world's best known car makers

BYD claims the factory will supply the domestic market and is not a backdoor route into the American motor sector

The plan comes as no surprise considering US officials, such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, have said Chinese tech presents national security risks

Concerns over governance and the board's independence have fuelled unrest against Toyoda, and any big drop in his shareholder support could spur action on reforms

Japanese officials have ordered Toyota, Mazda and Yamaha to suspend shipments of some vehicles for submitting incorrect or manipulated safety test data

Interest in local Chinese partnerships comes at a time when foreign carmakers are quickly losing share in the world’s biggest car market

VW has said it is reviewing “the future direction of business" in Xinjiang, where a test track was constructed for the German carmaker, allegedly using forced labour

The departures are among the most drastic changes Daihatsu has made so far after revealing last year it had rigged side-collision safety tests for 88,000 small cars

Many automakers have sold their assets in Russia for a nominal fee, but included buyback options that could one day allow them to return

Sources said the catastrophic malfunction happened after an update of the automaker's parts ordering system

April could see a good recovery in sales growth thanks to a low base in the corresponding period last year when China imposed strict Covid-19 lockdowns

Both carmakers gained from a plunge in the yen in October last year, even as a shortage of chips and soaring costs of raw materials squeezed global carmakers