After dominating sales in Thailand for decades, Mazda, Nissan and other Japanese companies are losing their grip on a market long viewed as a regional hub.
High interest rates, economic uncertainty and a cyberattack appear to have dampened sales in the three months between April and June.
Akio Toyoda ran Toyota for 14 years before handing the reins to a new C.E.O. last year, but some have grown concerned about the control he still wields.
More efficient manufacturing, falling battery costs and intense competition are lowering sticker prices for battery-powered models to within striking distance of gasoline cars.
Automakers and dealers are starting to offer discounts, low-interest loans and other incentives to lure buyers as the supply of cars grows.
The carmaker’s disappointing results point to slowing demand and a “sharp deterioration in growth” that extends beyond Elon Musk’s company.
The auto giant lobbied hard against tougher pollution rules. This week, the E.P.A.’s new rules proved favorable to hybrid technology, an area that Toyota dominates.
Readers discuss a new Biden administration rule and Toyota’s strategy. Also: Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. oppression; church and state; death preparation; falling birthrates.
Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has been criticized for selling few electric vehicles, but its decision to focus on hybrids is paying off financially.
It and other foreign automakers are trying to exploit upheaval caused by new technology to gain market share from their dominant rivals.