Japan's car exports keep plunging due to supply issues

some very important facts are missing.

1/japanese car makers depends on supply of semiconductors/chips mainly from China and East Asia,as they have outsourced production abroad because of their greed-thay are paying price for it now.

2/there are no available containers for products to be loaded and shipped abroad and same time freight costs are sky high.Japan as island have no other means for other way of shipping than sea vesseles-so this affected heavy volume of japanese exports as well.

There will be no Tesla plant in Japan because Japanese consumers are too poor to afford regular sized cars, much less Teslas. It is not just price issues, but parking and tax issues for exceeding "3 number" limitation as well.

Given low income of Japanese consumers, lack of Kei size EV offerings from automakers, and a heavy lobby from Japan's automakers against EV, Japan will likely stay with ICE indefinitely.

How did you reach the conclusion that your average Japanese consumer is "too poor" to afford a regular sized sized car?

How do you define a "regular sized car"?

Care to tell us about the various taxes that apply to automobiles in Japan?

Also, tell us why there should be Kei sized EV offerings from automobile manufacturers in Japan.

Finally, assuming that you live in Japan, do you even own a car or actually drive here?

How many cars does a person need???.

As many as my wallet allows me to by and as many as I can park in my driveway.

Are car exports not down in most countries at the moment?

That's an ironic assertion... coming from you. LOL.

Few people on this board know Japan as well as I do. I speak the language - that's integral to understanding the people and the country. Anyone who doesn't speak Japanese at an advanced enough level to do business, speak about politics, religion and culture, doesn't know this country very well. Many like to think they do though.

A third of all cars sold in Japan are "kei" classification

Thank you for proving my point that it was an entirely stupid comment to claim that "Japanese consumers are too poor to afford regular sized cars".

@Strangerland

That's as stupid a comment as has ever been made on this board, 

No it isn't. A third of all cars sold in Japan are "kei" classification, with pathetic 660cc engines and whose buyers receive a raft of preferential financial treatment from the government, like on insurance and tax. This long entrenched and uniquely Japanese scheme is based on the assumption that regular car ownership is out of reach financially to a significant portion of Japan's population.

A) Doesn't know Japan

That's an ironic assertion... coming from you. LOL.

@wobot, "You don't actually need a computer in a car though. A combustion engine is purely mechanical", well your sort of right, modern engines have computer chips that monitor the fuel injection systems, sensors in the exhaust manifolds, etc etc, they are all controled by the ECU, the ECU control quite a large portion of what the car does,, so going back to the 1970-1980 where cars didnt have ECU controling the cars emissions, we can go back to poor air quality, use more fuel, more slugish performances etc.

The price of containers have sky rocked over the last past few months, a container from India to the USA use to cost around £2500, but now that price is £15000, so some chips are made, but probably sitting in a container on a dock side somewhere because the chip manufacturer or importer wont pay the price hike, or even if they have paid its not a golden garrente that it will be shipped, its pot luck, because the more proffitable routes like Asia to Europe take preference! here in the UK the price of second hand cars have gone up and up, because of the demand.

The shortage of chips is not just confinde to Japan, Europe, the UK, and America have and are all effected.

I think a lot of suppliers are now moving out of China into other areas, but it take time to make a factory, that has to be so clean and precise.

@Cricky

Where should the first Tesla plant in Japan go?

There will be no Tesla plant in Japan because Japanese consumers are too poor to afford regular sized cars, much less Teslas. It is not just price issues, but parking and tax issues for exceeding "3 number" limitation as well.

Given low income of Japanese consumers, lack of Kei size EV offerings from automakers, and a heavy lobby from Japan's automakers against EV, Japan will likely stay with ICE indefinitely.

@TARA TAN KITAOKA How many cars does a person need???. Your question is as if you are asking a man how many wives does he need? Answer just one "GOOD ONE".

This is a result of the current US administration!

No it is the results of the previous regime who shot themselves in the foot not knowing what they were doing banning this and banning that.

This is a result of the current US administration!

@as_the_crow_flies

If car sales were to keep shrinking, it would cause short term pain, but would be great for the environment. 

I am not so sure about that. Shrinking sales doesn’t mean less cars on the streets, but rather higher percentage of old inefficient cars.

The last time I had a car you could fix them with a hammer and spanner.

You shouldnt be alive then, or maybe in the Guinness Book!

How many cars does a person need???.

Where should the first Tesla plant in Japan go? I’m hoping right in the heart of Aichi!

no I’m thinking the same place as the bed share thing, growing plants not okayed by the JA, Absolutely nowhere, Toyota boss has already said he sees no need for changing petroleum based business model. And he has paid too many politicians to be ignored now.

Japan needs to start making chips, no?

Ill have mine with a little salt and lots of vinegar

Hard to feel sorry for manufacturers when they refused to “trickle” down the profits in the past 30 years. Now all they have is external forces to blame those foreigners are crippling their slavery business model. Just wait for them to be asking the tax payers to pay their debts Sorry tax payers are pretty much tapped out after businesses took your lead. Maybe a donation of 12 million yen from diet members might help.

Where should the first Tesla plant in Japan go? I’m hoping right in the heart of Aichi!

If car sales were to keep shrinking, it would cause short term pain, but would be great for the environment. Although they'll need the materials to do it, it would be great to see manufacturers take advantage of the disruption to start making a move to green industries e.g solar panels, wind turbines, tidal power generators, heat exchangers. But I won't hold my breath for Japan to be that agile.

Tesla rules the world now grasshopper