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Toyota, Daihatsu and Suzuki team up to unbox some fun-size electric kei vans

The G7 Summit is happening in Hiroshima, Japan, right now and some automakers have taken the opportunity to announce new projects. Toyota, their wholly owned subsidiary Daihatsu, and Suzuki (of which Toyota owns about 5%) made news with a trio of electric micro-vans built to kei car specifications. The battery-electric vans are part of an industry-wide push toward carbon neutrality. Kei-class vehicles, in addition to limited displacement gasoline engines, have strict dimensional restrictions that allow them to navigate the often narrow streets in dense urban areas. They're also privilege to certain tax breaks and parking benefits.  [gallery ids="2474953,2474954"] The engine size rules obviously don't apply to the electric vans, but they will still conform to the size boundaries. Kei vans are often used to solve the "last mile" problem in logistics since they're able to whiz around crowded streets inaccessible by larger commercial vehicles.  Daihatsu, which specializes in kei cars, will build the vans and name their variant the HiJet Cargo. The HiJet name has been a consistent one in the company's lineup since 1960, but these new versions will be front-wheel-drive in contrast to the rear-wheel-drive gasoline variants. Toyota's version will be called the Pixis Van, while Suzuki will be named the Every, a nameplate that's been around since 1982. Aside from the badges the vans appear identical. Range is said to be approximately 200km (124 miles) on a single charge.  The exhibition was held in conjunction with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, which former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda heads. Toyoda stepped down from the top position at the company his grandfather founded in April, but still takes a overseer role as Chairman. Toyoda was criticized for being slow to adopt EVs, and new CEO Koji Sato has emphasized the role of battery-electrics moving forward while still taking a multi-front approach to carbon neutrality with hydrogen and hybrids. These vans were likely in development before Toyoda's retirement, though.

Suzuki recalling 23k GSX-R750 and GSX-R1000 bikes to replace chain adjuster

Suzuki is known for having a pair of very capable sportbikes in its GSX-R750 and GSXR-1000, but now the Japanese company is recalling 23,073 of them in the US to replace the chain adjuster. Specifically, the campaign affects 2011-2014 model year versions of the 750 and the 2009-2014 1000.
According to documents from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem can occur if riders miss a gear while upshifting. It's possible that the following shift might put enough added strain on the drivetrain to move the rear axle. This can damage the left-side chain adjuster. If there's too much harm done to the part, then the chain could potentially slip off the bike, leaving the powerless bike more vulnerable to a crash.
To fix the problem, Suzuki dealers will "replace the left-side adjuster with an improved part" that will be heat-treated to be stronger. Scroll down to read the full recall report.

Osamu Suzuki announces retirement at age 91

TOKYO — Suzuki's 91-year-old chairman, Osamu Suzuki, announced he will retire in June, stepping aside for a new leader to navigate the shift to electric cars and fight off competition from tech firms such as Tesla and Apple. The chairman, after heading for more than four decades the company that his wife's grandfather founded, is leaving his son Toshihiro Suzuki, already president and CEO, to hold the reins of the company. Osamu told reporters on Wednesday he decided to retire after the company welcomed its 100th anniversary last year and its new management plan won approval. But he said he will "remain active" as an adviser. "I will neither run away nor hide," the patriarch said, who has repeatedly declared in the past he will be a "lifelong non-retiree." The company also announced on Wednesday it will invest one trillion yen ($9.45 billion), mostly on electrification technology, over five years. The younger Suzuki said the company needed to respond to a global push towards lower emissions. "Carbon neutral is the focus now. Suzuki must not fall behind this global trend," he said. The announcement by Japan's fourth-biggest automaker comes less than a week after rival Honda appointed a new CEO, who said he would consider alliances to make bold decisions. Carmakers, particularly smaller players such as Suzuki, are seen at a disadvantage due to the huge cost of developing EVs and technologies such as autonomous driving. Suzuki, alongside other automakers such as Mazda and Subaru, tied up with Toyota in 2019 to slash development and manufacturing costs. Osamu Suzuki, who joined Suzuki Motor in 1958, became president in 1978 and doubled as chairman in 2000. During his tenure, the company solidified its presence as the top maker of compact cars. He spearheaded the company's decision to enter its key Indian market in 1983. Maruti Suzuki, which the carmaker owns a majority stake in, is India's top carmaker, selling every second car in the country. In 2016, Suzuki stepped down as CEO to take responsibility for the firm's use of incorrect testing methods to calculate vehicle mileage, but he remained chairman. Osamu, who waved and said "bye-bye" at the end of Wednesday's news conference, will be appointed as senior adviser upon retirement.