Automotive components supplier Denso is thinking about spinning off its chip business into a separate company

The importance of semiconductor components to the automotive industry could easily be seen in the magnitude of the crisis that has gripped production lines since late the year before last.
The development of active driver assistance systems and the transition to electric propulsion will only increase automakers' demand for chips, so Denso is thinking about structurally separating its semiconductor business.Image source: DensoBy Denso CTO Yoshifumi Kato, this business brings the largest component supplier to the Toyota Motor assembly line up to $3.1 billion in revenue annually.
The Japanese automaker's higher resistance to the semiconductor crisis has allowed Toyota Motor to break away from the rest of the market as its leader.
Directly Denso is the second largest manufacturer of automotive components.
In the segment of automotive semiconductor components, the company claims the fifth place in terms of revenues.Already now, Denso management is thinking about the feasibility of structural separation of the semiconductor business.
If this happens, the chips of this brand will also be supplied for the needs of third-party manufacturers of automotive components.
At the moment the company is concentrating its efforts on covering its own needs in semiconductor products.
The development and production of such products will soon take up to 10% of Denso's research budget.
The company expects revenues from chip sales to increase 19%.In February, Denso agreed with TSMC to buy a 10% stake in a joint venture with Sony, which will operate in Japan and manufacture semiconductor products.
It was Denso's participation in the joint venture that prompted TSMC to consider using more advanced lithography, which initially was to be limited to Sony's required 22 and 28nm process technologies.
Denso expects the semiconductor shortage to ease slightly at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends in March 2023.

Toyota has unveiled a power storage system for home use

Toyota Motor has not yet achieved great success in mass production of electric cars, but it has been producing hybrids for a long time, and therefore has serious experience with traction batteries.
Like some other major automakers, the Japanese corporation has decided to bring to market a stationary system for storing electricity for home use - so far it will be offered only in Japan.Image source: ToyotaThe geographical specialization of the new solution for Toyota is displayed even in the system name - O-Uchi Kyuden, as well as adaptation to the local power grid standard of 100 volts.
Weatherproof battery case allows you to install it on the street, it is designed to work in the temperature range from minus 20 to plus 45 degrees Celsius.
The battery itself has overall dimensions of 1142 × 341 × 432 mm and weighs 142 kg, it has a capacity of 8.7 kW‧h and can power consumers with a combined capacity of 5.5 kW.
The system also includes a hybrid power control unit, which weighs 33 kg, a transformer weighing 9 kg for the DC network, as well as an identical weight adapter for connecting a vehicle.
The latter can be used both to charge its own traction battery and to power the house network when the centralized power supply is disconnected.
In this case, however, the power of connected household consumers can not exceed 1.1 kW.To manage the system developed and branded application for smartphones, but it is still only available in Japanese.
It will go on sale as early as August, but only in Japan.
Construction companies will distribute the system on the local market.
Recall that Tesla has been distributing its residential energy storage systems since 2015, later joined by Mercedes-Benz and Renault.
As a rule, such systems are equipped with used traction batteries, which extends their life cycle.

Toyota has developed a prototype of a lightweight and safe hydrogen fuel cartridge for transportation of the future and beyond

While many automakers are focusing on battery electric vehicles, Toyota continues to go its own way, trying to find the best technology for using hydrogen fuel, not only in transportation, but also in other areas.
The new prototype of the replaceable hydrogen cartridge is easy and safe to use.Image source: ToyotaAlthough hydrogen fuel is virtually safe for the environment, the gas is extremely explosive and this limits the scope of its application.
A technology jointly developed by Toyota and its subsidiary Woven Planet could fundamentally change the situation.
The basic idea is that fuel cartridges can be refueled at a special facility, transported to where they are needed, and then returned for refueling.The cartridge is only about 40 cm long, about 18 cm in diameter, and weighs about 5 kg.
Toyota calls them \"portable, affordable and convenient energy that allows you to bring hydrogen to where people live, work and play without the use of pipelines,\" followed by quick replacement and recharging.Cars are not limited to the scope of such cartridges - they can be used in home energy and other areas.
According to the company, the gas in one cartridge should be enough to generate enough electricity to run a typical microwave oven continuously for 3-4 hours.In its press release, Toyota noted that most of the hydrogen today is produced from fossil fuels, so it is not really \"green\".
Nevertheless, the company believes that in the future it will be possible to produce it with minimal harmful emissions into the atmosphere.Image source: ToyotaToyota plans to conduct a series of tests in different locations.
The company also intends to build a comprehensive supply chain, which will speed up and simplify the production, transportation and daily use of hydrogen.
For now, Toyota is positioning the cartridges as a solution for personal or home use.