Latest news with #ToyodaGosei
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyoda Gosei Invests in Helical Fusion, a Startup for Clean Nuclear Fusion Energy
KIYOSU, Japan, July 11, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) has invested in Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. in July 2025, which aims to achieve practical nuclear fusion power generation as a promising energy source for the future. Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction where high power is generated without emitting CO2. It is allegedly more controllable compared to nuclear fission because the reaction can be stopped quickly by ceasing to supply fuel. Deuterium and tritium for the fuel are also abundant in seawater. International competition is therefore intense in developing nuclear fusion as a way to fundamentally solve the world's energy problem. Helical Fusion is a startup that was established based on research findings at the National Institute for Fusion Science. With its strengths in engineering technology for the nuclear fusion reactors key to power generation, the company aims its social implementation. As this new power generation is expected to grow, Toyoda Gosei invested in Helical Fusion with a view to exploring fields where the company can leverage its technology and increase its knowledge. This investment is one of the venture investments Toyoda Gosei is making as part of efforts to explore and enter new business fields. Outline of Helical Fusion Company name Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. Location N&E Bldg. 6F, Ginza 1-12-4, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan CEO Takaya Taguchi Established October 2021 View source version on Contacts Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. Contact: Public Relationsinquiry@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Toyoda Gosei Invests in Helical Fusion, a Startup for Clean Nuclear Fusion Energy
KIYOSU, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) has invested in Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. in July 2025, which aims to achieve practical nuclear fusion power generation as a promising energy source for the future. Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction where high power is generated without emitting CO 2. It is allegedly more controllable compared to nuclear fission because the reaction can be stopped quickly by ceasing to supply fuel. Deuterium and tritium for the fuel are also abundant in seawater. International competition is therefore intense in developing nuclear fusion as a way to fundamentally solve the world's energy problem. Helical Fusion is a startup that was established based on research findings at the National Institute for Fusion Science. With its strengths in engineering technology for the nuclear fusion reactors key to power generation, the company aims its social implementation. As this new power generation is expected to grow, Toyoda Gosei invested in Helical Fusion with a view to exploring fields where the company can leverage its technology and increase its knowledge. This investment is one of the venture investments Toyoda Gosei is making as part of efforts to explore and enter new business fields.
CNN
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
These ultra-thin bendy solar panels are so light you can wear them
As summer temperatures in Osaka, Japan, soar closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, staff at Expo 2025 are beating the heat with utility vests that are powered by the sun. Developed by Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei, in collaboration with solar cell startup Enecoat Technologies and textile manufacturer Seiren, the utility vests are fitted with ultra-thin, flexible solar panels that weigh less than four grams each — lighter than a single sheet of paper — and power neck fans to keep the wearer cool. These solar 'films' aren't like the silicon panels installed on roofs or solar farms, which account for 98% of the solar energy market today. Instead, they're made of perovskites, a family of crystals that share the same characteristic structure. Perovskite solar cells are lighter, cheaper to produce, and can be tuned to absorb a broader range of light, including visible and near-infrared. They can even be charged 'under shade, in rainy and cloudy weather,' says Shinichiro Fuki, director of the Toyoda Gosei team behind the vest. In the lab, Enecoat's solar film has achieved 21.2% efficiency, meaning around a fifth of the solar energy is converted to electricity. Now, it is being tested in real-world conditions at the Expo. The team is gathering data daily on how it responds to different climate conditions, such as solar radiation and temperature, as well as the performance of the mobile battery that it connects to, which is expected to fully charge in five to 10 hours. According to Fuki, the project is a 'world-first initiative' to integrate perovskite solar cells into wearables. 'We hope people who work in an environment where they cannot easily obtain power without solar power will use and wear it,' he adds. Perovskites can be found in nature or made in a lab, and their use in solar cells was first demonstrated in 2009 by researchers in Japan. In lab settings, perovskites have achieved power conversion efficiencies of more than 26% — around the same as the best-performing silicon solar panels today, which have nearly hit their efficiency limit. One of the greatest advantages of perovskites is their ability to 'generate power indoors or in low-light environments,' says Tamotsu Horiuchi, director and chief technology officer at Enecoat Technologies. 'When indoors, instead of sunlight, the light of LEDs, fluorescent lights, or similar lights, will be used to produce power,' says Horiuchi. And because they are more flexible and lightweight than silicon panels, 'we can install solar panels even in places where it was impossible before,' he adds — such as roofs that can't support silicon solar panels, which can weigh up to around 50 pounds (23 kilograms). Related article Solar-charging backpacks are helping children to read after dark The vests aren't the only demonstration of perovskites at the Expo: Polish company Saule Technologies has deployed curved solar cells in 'smart poles' that power street lights, security cameras, digital signage and wireless charging, and Japanese company Sekisui Chemical is demonstrating its one-millimeter-thick solar film on the roof of the event's bus terminus. At the Panasonic Group pavilion, perovskite solar cells sandwiched between layers of glass to provide added durability have been transformed into an artistic facade to showcase the aesthetic potential of the technology. 'The current (silicone) solar panels are difficult to install in our living space,' says Yoshiteru Hara, technical director of the Panasonic pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. 'We need to make a balance between design and power generation efficiency.' Japan is investing heavily in perovskite technology to meet ambitious goals of generating 20 gigawatts of solar energy by 2040, the equivalent power produced by about typical 20 nuclear power plants. The nation is the world's second-largest producer of iodine, a key ingredient in perovskites, and the country's mountainous terrain limits the potential development of traditional solar farms, which require huge amounts of flat land. However, despite the advantages, perovskites degrade faster than silicon when exposed to heat, moisture or UV rays, losing efficiency in a few years, months or even weeks. 'Everybody right now is working on stability: that's the only thing that perovskites lack and still don't have in comparison to silicon,' says Dr Hashini Perera, a postgraduate research fellow at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute, where she studies perovskites. Researchers are exploring different ways to make perovskites more durable, such as adding 'stabilizing agents' or encasing the film in protective layers, such as glass, says Perera, whose recent research discovered a method that could increase the material's lifespan tenfold. Another challenge of perovskites is that they contain lead, which is toxic. Studies have shown that if damaged this could present an environmental risk, but Perera says that the potential for lead leakage is very low, particularly with robust encapsulation methods. While solar cells using just perovskite might still have a long road to commercialization, it's already improving existing panels: last year, Oxford PV, a company spun out of the University of Oxford physics department, launched the first commercial perovskite-on-silicon tandem panels in the US, delivering up to 20% more energy than standalone silicon cells. 'It's a massive step forward for perovskites,' says Perera. Perovskite's ability to bring energy generation into urban areas, closer to where it's used, will also make future cities more efficient, says Horiuchi, chief technology officer at Enecoat. 'It's more effective to use the electricity generated right there (on-site) to power the building itself,' says Horiuchi, adding: 'The same is true for clothing. I think the best way to use it is… on a smartwatch or your smartphone. I think it would be good to develop it in that way.' Additional reporting by Yumi Asada, CNN.
National Post
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
Toyoda Gosei Accelerates Development of Motorcycle Airbag with Vehicle Crash Test
Article content KIYOSU, Japan — (TOKYO:7282) is leveraging its expertise in safety systems for automobiles to develop an airbag for motorcycles as a part of the company's efforts for safer mobility in society. Aiming for an early market launch, it has recently conducted a crash test in-house with real vehicles. The findings obtained in this test are being used to refine the company's motorcycle rider protection technology. Article content Toyoda Gosei is planning and developing safety products for each form of mobility as it seeks to 'provide safety to everyone on the move.' Globally, about 360,000 riders of powered two-wheelers and three-wheelers lose their lives each year in traffic accidents.* Protecting them is a crucial issue for the company. Thus, it is working to launch an airbag with high protection performance that can be fitted in the limited space of motorcycles. Article content Article content In the recent test, the company examined how the airbag deployed in a motorcycle frontal collision, and how it protected the rider. The situation of motorcycle riders differs from that of drivers and passengers in automobile cabins during collisions. Going forward, Toyoda Gosei will utilize real environment tests and simulation technology as it continues to develop airbags that can overcome the difficulties of protecting motorcycle riders. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyoda Gosei Launches Horizontal Recycling Technology for Plastic Automotive Parts
Lower CO2 with plastic recycling from end-of-life to new vehicles KIYOSU, Japan, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) has developed a new technology to recycle high-quality plastic from end-of-life vehicles (ELV) in order to meet the growing demand for recycled plastic in the automotive industry against strengthened environmental regulations.1 This technology will contribute to decarbonized, circular economy through its use in various vehicles models starting with the Toyota Camry.2 In the recycling of waste plastic, it has been difficult to obtain plastic with performance equivalent to that of new material due to impurities or other factors, and so waste plastic has generally been burned to recover heat (thermal recycling) or reused for purposes with lower required performance (downcycling). Toyoda Gosei has developed a recycled plastic with performance equivalent to that of new material even with 50% ELV plastic (polypropylene). To achieve this, Toyoda Gosei has collaborated with Isono Co., Ltd. to procure quality raw materials for recycling and leveraged Toyoda Gosei's original material modification technology, meeting the quality standards for automotive parts for practical application. This technology accelerates horizontal recycling for reuse in the same parts and contributes to CO2 reduction.3 It is the first time in the world4 that recycled plastic containing 50% ELV plastic is used in interior parts such as glove boxes that require impact resistance. Toyoda Gosei is advancing recycling plastic and rubber with decarbonization as a key aim, based on its medium- and long-term 2030 Business Plan. Going forward, Toyoda Gosei aims to expand applicable products, such as those associated with vehicle design, and will move ahead with the improvement of recycled plastic. 1 In the European Commission policy to strengthen environmental regulations (ELV directive), the use of recycled plastic is expected to be mandated in new vehicles sold from 2031 onward. 2 Manufactured in Japan, used on the Camry launched in Europe and other parts of the world since 2024. 3 Use of this recycled plastic leads to a CO2 reduction of up to about 40% when used in parts manufacture (depends on product size and other factors; calculated using IDEA developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) 4 As of April 30, 2025; Toyoda Gosei survey View source version on Contacts Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. Contact: Public Relationsinquiry@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
