Month: September 2010

Toyota to launch six new hybrid cars

While Detroit’s Big Three car makers are still struggling with with their health care costs and employee pension, the Japanese auto makers have already started to seize the clean-energy car market.

Nissan and Honda are ready to surprise the consumers with their electric cars later this year and in 2012 respectively. Toyota has also planned to launch 6 new hybrid cars, including 2 Lexus models, by the end of 2012. The huge success of  Toyota’s Prius hybrid since its launch in 1997 has consolidated its leading role in the trend of clean energy vehicles. Having looked into a brief SWOT analysis of Toyota Industry, which ties closely to the Toyota Motors Corporation, I notice the great opportunity to expand the hybrid car market. Since consumers nowadays are more conscious of sustainability, many of them turn into products that are claimed to be better for the environment. In terms of fuel efficiency, hybrid cars and electric cars are obviously the better choice.

If  Big Three still want to share the cake in the global market, their R&D departments better come up with something green and innovative shortly.

Image (right): Black 2010 Lexus HS 250h Hybrid

Image (left): Silver 2010 Lexus HS 250h Hybrid

Some brands are very successful in tying its brand to its product. For example, Kleenex is almost equal to tissues. Similarly, Starbucks has also established its superior status in the coffee industry. However, unlike Kleenex, which produces its products (i.e. tissues) in their own pulp manufacturing mills, Starbucks, on the other hands, imports most of its coffee beans from the farmers in African countries. While Starbucks is making a huge profit off the famous Ethiopian coffee beans, it has tried to stop the Ethiopia’s farmers from trademarking their most famous coffee names, which could potentially bring them revenue of up to £47m/year!

First of all, before criticizing this “unethical” act, we have to define what social responsibility means to a corporation. If that only means that businesses should not break any laws, discriminate any groups or do anything harmful to the environment, then Starbucks has totally passed. In a free market, businesses make decisions that can generate the most profits. They are not obliged to make huge financial commitments to charities. Although Starbucks seemed to be unethical according to most people’s standard, it fulfilled its role in the free market.

Surprisingly, Starbucks changed its position in response to social riots!

Work Cited

Seager,  Ashley.  “Starbucks, the coffee beans and the copyright row that cost Ethiopia £47m.”  The Guardian 26 Oct.

2006.

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