Toyota City, Japan, Nov 25, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has presented its line-up for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season as it further strengthens its squad of drivers with a mix of young talent and title-winning experience.After winning eight out of 13 rallies in 2024 and claiming a fourth consecutive manufacturers’ championship at the season-ending Rally Japan, TGR-WRT will enter 2025 with the mission to defend its crown and fight for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles. It will be able to count on an expanded line-up of cars and drivers, with four or five GR Yaris Rally1 entries set to appear on each event.Joining the team to start his first full season at the highest level will be Sami Pajari, following an impressive 2024 season in which he won the WRC2 drivers’ championship driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car and performed well in his first three outings in Rally1 machinery in Finland, Chile and Central Europe. The 22-year-old from Finland’s promotion demonstrates TGR-WRT’s commitment to developing young drivers as well as the GR Yaris Rally2’s role in providing a pathway to the top of the sport.Pajari, who will confirm the identity of his co-driver in due course, is one of four drivers who are set to feature on every rally.Double world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen will return to competing full-time with the team in 2025 after taking four wins from seven starts during a partial campaign this year. Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, winners of last weekend’s Rally Japan, continue for their sixth successive season with the team, with Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston also returning for another year. Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais will once more contest a partial schedule of selected events after scoring three victories this season.TGR-WRT is pleased to confirm that Jari-Matti Latvala will continue in the role of Team Principal. In the last four seasons, in addition to overseeing numerous victories and championship titles, Latvala has been a trusted associate for the team’s drivers while also helping to identify and develop new talent such as Pajari.As part of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s driver-first approach, Latvala has also been given the opportunity by Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, to continue pursuing his first love of driving alongside his duties of Team Principal – for example, competing in Rally Finland with a GR Yaris Rally1 in 2023 and GR Yaris Rally2 in 2024. This will continue in 2025 when Latvala will drive one of the most successful Toyota rally cars – the Celica ST185 – in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship. He will do so in the colours of TGR, helping to connect the eras of Toyota participation in WRC and further share its passion for rallying with fans.In order to best support the team and ensure the continuation of the successful driver-first approach, Juha Kankkunen will take up the role of Deputy Team Principal. A four-time world champion, who won the last of his titles driving the Toyota Celica ST185 in 1993, Kankkunen will bring considerable experience of success to share with the drivers and other team members. He already knows the team well, having attended several events in an ambassadorial role over the past few years.Team nameTOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (World Rally Team)ChairmanAkio ToyodaTeam PrincipalJari-Matti Latvala (Finland)Deputy Team PrincipalJuha Kankkunen (Finland)VehicleGR Yaris Rally1 (length 4207mm; width 1875mm)EngineGI4BTyresHankookDriver/Co-driverDriverElfyn Evans (UK)Co-driverScott Martin (UK)DriverSébastien Ogier (France)Co-driverVincent Landais (France)DriverKalle Rovanperä (Finland)Co-driverJonne Halttunen (Finland)DriverTakamoto Katsuta (Japan)Co-driverAaron Johnston (Ireland)DriverSami Pajari (Finland)Co-driverTBCQuotes:Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal):“The 2024 season presented new challenges for our team, but we continued to perform at a high level and kept fighting until the final day to successfully retain our manufacturers’ title. For 2025, we are really happy to continue with the same drivers who have been performing strongly for us over recent seasons, and to have more drivers strengthening our efforts for the full championship. It’s also great to welcome Sami Pajari to our line-up thanks to the investment that we are making to develop young drivers. Sami has made great steps this year and we are confident that he’s ready to move up to the highest level. Personally, I’m very excited to have the opportunity to combine my role as Team Principal with my passion for driving, competing with the legendary Toyota Celica, and I’m really pleased that Juha Kankkunen will take on the role of Deputy Team Principal to support me and the team on WRC events: he knows the team well and brings a lot of experience to the role.”Juha Kankkunen (Deputy Team Principal):“It is a great pleasure for me to take on this role with the team. During my career I drove with many different teams but I had nine years in total with Toyota: it was the first manufacturer to give me an opportunity in the WRC, and I believe it is probably the best team in the world. There are very good people and the cooperation has always been excellent between Europe and Japan. This team spirit and teamwork is very important and everybody is pushing together. I have a good relationship with Akio Toyoda, having been driving together with him in demonstration events in the last few years, and also with Jari-Matti, who is a great person and very easy to talk with. I’m really happy to work more closely with them and to help the team where I can.”Elfyn Evans:“I’m very happy to continue with TGR-WRT next year. Since 2020 we’ve had some great seasons together, and although 2024 could have been even more successful, I know that there’s still a lot of potential in the team and I feel I have plenty more to give as well. So I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership. We know that we need to keep working hard together and hopefully we can achieve more good results in the future.”Kalle Rovanperä:“I’m really excited that I will be driving in the full WRC season again next year. This year has been quite different for me, driving a few different cars and still winning some rallies at the same time. It’s been a nice year, but it’s also given me a lot of motivation to return for the full season, to push together with Jonne for the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles and do our best with the team to win the manufacturers’ championship too.”Sébastien Ogier:“It’s really exciting to remain with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for 2025. We have already had five very fantastic seasons together with a lot of victories and success and I’m really looking forward to continuing this story. Once again my main goal is to give my support to the team in the manufacturers’ championship in a partial programme, and hopefully we can manage to win all three titles. Let’s keep pushing the limits together.”Takamoto Katsuta:“I’m really happy that I will continue driving with the team in 2025. It has been a challenging season for me this year, and I want to thank the team and everyone who has been supporting me in the difficult moments. I feel I have shown my speed on most of the rallies, so the confidence is growing and I just need to find the right rhythm through every rally: this is my main target next year. If everything goes well, I’m sure I can fight for more podiums.”Sami Pajari:“This is a dream come true for me and I’m really grateful to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and the team for giving me this amazing opportunity. There have also been many important people who have been helping me and making this possible. It has been an incredible year for us in the GR Yaris Rally2 and in our first events in the Rally1 car, and although we have now reached the place we were aiming for, I also know that this is where the hard work really starts to learn and to push for good results in the future.”TGR WRC Challenge ProgramThe TGR WRC Challenge Program started in 2015 aiming to develop professional rally drivers who can compete on the world stage, following in the footsteps of Takamoto Katsuta. The program’s second-generation drivers Hikaru Kogure and Yuki Yamamoto will both continue in 2025. It will be their second season driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car on events, including WRC2 rounds, after gaining valuable experience this year.A third generation of drivers, Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita, were selected to join the program ahead of 2024. Having now taken part in their first rallies in Europe in Rally4 cars, they will continue their training in 2025 with a step up to four-wheel drive Rally3 machinery.The process to select a fourth intake of young drivers is underway. Following an initial selection event at Fuji Speedway, seven drivers will take part in the final selection in Finland in December.DriverHikaru Kogure (Japan)DriverYuki Yamamoto (Japan)DriverShotaro Goto (Japan)DriverTakumi Matsushita (Japan) Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Nov 25, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has submitted a progress report on measures to prevent recurrence of model certification application issues to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) today in light of the correction order the ministry issued on July 31. This report, summarizing actions taken to date, is the first of a series of quarterly reports.Response to the correction orderWe are reviewing our mechanisms and systems to increase legal compliance awareness among all employees and to enable them to do their work in a correct manner. This incident prompted management to make more frequent visits to the genba. Through this process, we found that we were not taking the necessary steps at the necessary times, including decisions on managing aging equipment. Going forward, management will make swift decisions on actions required in the medium to long term and will share that information with all employees. Through a series of such initiatives, we aim to be the company of choice for our customers.Specific progress of measures to prevent recurrenceWe are promoting on-site management to drive development and certification work. We have also implemented measures to remedy any issues identified through that process.- To be able to take appropriate actions immediately when abnormalities are found, management is visiting the genba in person to learn about the actual situation to create the appropriate environments and allocate resources needed for Human Development, Monozukuri and Strengthening Foundations.- We have reviewed responsibilities and processes so that appropriate management can be made at each stage of development and certification application.- We have introduced education programs to improve management's understanding of certification rules and its awareness of compliance.- The Legal Supervisor is attending internal certification tests and shares audit results with management.- We have established means for appropriate storage and handling of certification-related data.- We are using digital technology to automatically generate test results (to reduce human errors and workloads, etc.).- We are pursuing improvement of compliance awareness in development and certification departments using educational environments, including the Quality Learning Center, and by offering e-learning opportunities to all employees.Through Toyota's company-wide TPS training program for Certification Work, we are also working to develop a corporate culture across the Toyota Group to address fundamental challenges in development. We are treating this as an opportunity to review not only our development and certification operations but the way we work in every process, from planning to sales. In this regard, we are currently conducting kaizen activities, fully considering the effect on prior to and post processes.To once again gain the trust of our stakeholders, we will make company-wide efforts to prevent the recurrence of these issues.About Toyota Toyota strives to be a strong corporate citizen, engaging with and earning the trust of its stakeholders, and to contribute to the creation of a prosperous society through all its business operations.Our corporate principles form the basis of our initiatives, reflect values that enable action, and drive our mindset.For the latest Toyota-related news and information:https://tinyurl.com/ToyotaPressReleasenewsroom@global.toyota Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Nov 25, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. (MHI Thermal Systems), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received an order from Aisan Industry Co., Ltd. (Obu-shi, Aichi Prefecture) for a large-scale Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system for the company's new Anjo Plant (tentative name). The project will be the first practical application of an ATES system in the Chubu region. MHI Thermal Systems' ATES system, including heat pump-type centrifugal chillers, is highly regarded for its energy-saving performance, optimal control technology, and operational performance. The order was placed through Obayashi Corporation, which is responsible for the construction of the plant. This project will be MHI Thermal Systems' first practical application of an ATES system outside of the Kansai region, and the fifth implementation site in Japan, including demonstration testing and social implementation.Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systemThe ETI-Z25.HP heat pump-type centrifugal chiller to be utilized for this system has a cooling capacity of 234 refrigeration tons (RT)(Note1) (823 kW) per unit, and can provide both hot and cold water supply. The refrigerant used is HFO-1233zd(E), which has a Global Warming Potential (GWP)(Note2) of 1 (one), giving it an extremely low environmental impact. The ATES system will be used for air conditioning at the plant, and is scheduled to start operations in the winter of 2025. Compared to conventional air conditioning systems, the adoption of high-efficiency centrifugal chillers, along with the utilization of control technologies such as automatic switching of optimal operating modes, can be expected to reduce annual CO2emissions by approximately 50%.(Note3) Recognition of these features led to the selection of the system by Ministry of the Environment for the Fiscal 2023 (Supplementary Budget) Subsidy for CO2 Emission Control Measures Project Expenses.(Note4)An ATES system uses gravel and groundwater stored in aquifers deep underground as an enormous heat storage tank, allowing for the effective use of energy by enabling the circulation of heat across seasons, such as using the cold waste heat from winter heating for summer cooling, and the warm waste heat from summer cooling for winter heating. MHI Thermal Systems' ATES system received the "Energy Conservation Center, Japan Chairman's Award" in the "Best Practice Category" at the 2021 Energy Conservation Grand Prize,(Note5) and the "HPTCJ Promotion Award" at the 2022 "Demand Side Management Awards".(Note6)Aisan Industry's new Anjo Plant (tentative name) aims to 1) achieve carbon neutrality for the entire plant, 2) establish a high value-added work style that furthers the realization of DX, and 3) provide new value. The plant is also pursuing innovative manufacturing, such as the building and operation of fully automated lines that run 24 hours a day, including logistics, highly efficient production activities with collaborative robots in which workers and robots work alongside each other, and quality assurance that makes full use of digital data and IoT. In this context, MHI Thermal Systems will support the company's energy circulation initiatives aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, from the standpoint of utilizing natural energy with an optimally controlled ATES system.MHI Thermal Systems has delivered many centrifugal chillers for district heating and cooling and factory air conditioning, and boasts the top market share in Japan in these fields. Going forward, MHI Thermal Systems will continue to respond to customer needs, and through the delivery of centrifugal chillers and air conditioning systems that have a low impact on the global environment, contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral world.(1) refrigeration ton = approx. 3.516 kW(2) Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a coefficient, with CO2 fixed at a GWP of 1.0. Smaller values indicate greater environmental performance.(3) Compared to a gas absorption cold/hot water heater with similar capacity.(4) As part of the Fiscal 2023 (Supplementary Budget) Subsidy for CO2 Emission Control Measures Project Expenses (Projects to Promote the Mainstreaming of Renewable Energy and Strengthening of Resilience by Private Companies), selected from among projects to promote the introduction of renewable energy and cost reductions using new methods for Projects to Support Cost Reductions in the Use and Generation of Renewable Energy Heat "Equipment Introduction Project B."(5) For further information regarding the receipt of the "Energy Conservation Center, Japan Chairman's Award" sponsored by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ), see the following press release. www.mhi.com/news/211222.html(6) For further information regarding the receipt of the "HPTCJ Promotion Award" at the 2022 "Demand Side Management Awards" sponsored by the Heat Pump & Thermal Storage Technology Center of Japan (HPTCJ), see the following press release. www.mhi.com/news/22060301.htmlAbout MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com. Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Nov 25, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Max Verstappen, driver for Oracle Red Bull Racing, for which Honda is a team partner, clinched his fourth consecutive F1 drivers’ world championship on Sunday, November 23 local time in the Las Vegas Grand Prix(1), the 22nd round of the 2024 FIA*2 Formula One (F1) World Championship. For this season, as a team partner, Honda has been providing technical support and cooperating in marketing activities with Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB. As part of the technical support, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is manufacturing and supplying all power unit (PU) components except for the ESS*3 to Red Bull Powertrains*4 and supporting the operations of the PUs throughout the season.(1) Official event name: Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024*2 Fédération Internationale de lʼAutomobile.*3 Energy Storage System, the battery system that stores recovered electric energy.*4 A Red Bull Group company that produces F1 power units. For the current version of the PUs, PBPT is responsible for producing and operating the ESS.Comment of Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC)“Max, congratulations on your fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship! It has been five years since your first victory with the Honda power unit at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix. On top of your ‘fast’ and ‘strong’ driver capability, you have certainly added “toughness” that turns critical situations into opportunities. The remarkable achievement of winning former race at the São Paulo Grand Prix from the 17th grid truly endorses your development. Honda and HRC are proud to be able to support your fourth consecutive title, and HRC will continue to be dedicated to providing support to you, Max, and both the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team while aiming at even greater heights in the future.”Max VerstappenDate of Birth30 September 1997 (age 27)NationalityDutchPlace of BirthBelgiumHeight181 cmWeight72 kgRacing Career20143rd in FIA European Formula 3 Championship2015Debut F1 as the youngest F1 driver ever (17 years and 166 days.) 12th in Formula One Drivers’ Championship20165th in Formula One Drivers’ Championship. First win in Rd.5 Spain marked youngest win in F1 history (18 years and 228 days)20176th in Formula One Drivers’ Championship20184th in Formula One Drivers’ Championship20193rd in Formula One Drivers’ Championship. Win in Rd.9 Austria marked 1st win for Honda in Hybrid Era20203rd in Formula One Drivers’ Championship2021Formula One World Drivers’ Champion. Brought the first drivers’ title for Honda for the first time in 30 years since 19912022Formula One World Drivers’ Champion2023Formula One World Drivers’ Champion2024Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.