Toyota #1 world's R&D company
12-07-12, 01:17 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
Toyota #1 world's R&D company
BRUSSELS (Jiji Press)--Toyota Motor Corp. reemerged as the global leader in research and development investment in fiscal 2011, according to the European Union's survey report.
With an investment total of 7.75 billion euros (10 billion dollars), Toyota climbed to the top of the 2012 "EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard" covering the world's top 1,500 companies.
The company bounced back from fourth in the previous year's rankings, according to the survey results compiled by the European Commission based on companies' accounting data for fiscal 2011.
Toyota was the top R&D investor on the 2009 and 2010 scoreboards.
In the 2012 rankings, U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. came in second with an investment total of 7.58 billion euros, up from third, followed by German automaker Volkswagen AG with 7.2 billion euros, up from sixth.
Meanwhile, Swiss drug maker F. Hoffmann-La Roche, the 2011 scoreboard leader, fell to seventh place.
Besides Toyota, 11 Japanese companies were among the top 50 companies in terms of R&D investment, including Panasonic Corp., at 13th; Honda Motor Co., at 14th; Sony Corp., at 18th; Nissan Motor Co., at 20th; and Hitachi Ltd., at 24th.
The top 50 list also included 18 U.S. and 15 EU companies.
With an investment total of 7.75 billion euros (10 billion dollars), Toyota climbed to the top of the 2012 "EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard" covering the world's top 1,500 companies.
The company bounced back from fourth in the previous year's rankings, according to the survey results compiled by the European Commission based on companies' accounting data for fiscal 2011.
Toyota was the top R&D investor on the 2009 and 2010 scoreboards.
In the 2012 rankings, U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. came in second with an investment total of 7.58 billion euros, up from third, followed by German automaker Volkswagen AG with 7.2 billion euros, up from sixth.
Meanwhile, Swiss drug maker F. Hoffmann-La Roche, the 2011 scoreboard leader, fell to seventh place.
Besides Toyota, 11 Japanese companies were among the top 50 companies in terms of R&D investment, including Panasonic Corp., at 13th; Honda Motor Co., at 14th; Sony Corp., at 18th; Nissan Motor Co., at 20th; and Hitachi Ltd., at 24th.
The top 50 list also included 18 U.S. and 15 EU companies.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T121207002912.htm
12-07-12, 01:49 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
12-07-12, 05:19 PM
#5
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 12,050
Likes: 0
Received 73 Likes
on
44 Posts
you took the words out of my mouth. You'd think we'd also have newer battery technology that wasnt the same as in the first prius 12 years ago.
Last edited by RXSF; 12-07-12 at 05:25 PM.
12-07-12, 05:55 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 2,010
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Too bad most of Toyota's additional R&D costs seem to have gone to areas that don't excite the enthusiasts, i.e. more efficient manufacturing processes, ways to improve reliability and serviceability, better assembly quality, etc., so their new model/engine/chassis/technology's update cycles end up being longer than the competition, resulting in the frustration shown in the posts above. 
Last edited by ydooby; 12-07-12 at 06:03 PM.
12-07-12, 06:38 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
i am sure you wouldnt want them to use something that will crap out in 5 years like lion batteries will... but we cant have it all, for now.
Trending Topics
12-07-12, 08:06 PM
#8
Lexus Champion
Too bad most of Toyota's additional R&D costs seem to have gone to areas that don't excite the enthusiasts, i.e. more efficient manufacturing processes, ways to improve reliability and serviceability, better assembly quality, etc., so their new model/engine/chassis/technology's update cycles end up being longer than the competition, resulting in the frustration shown in the posts above.
Must an independent company like Toyota fall in line with other companies' engine updating schedules? Could it be that Toyota's engines were that good 10 years ago that they are still ahead of the game now, and the reason that other companies have had to update their engines twice already is because they are still trying to catch up to Toyota?
Or, perhaps as you hinted at, Toyota has been updating their engines, but in ways that are not visible to the common consumer. Perhaps Toyota has been working to minimize noise, vibration and harshness, not to mention friction. That would all improve the engine without getting the "enthusiast" all excited.
12-07-12, 08:12 PM
#9
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 2,010
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So you don't want efficient manufacturing processes (that will keep prices down even as more technology goes into the cars), and better reliability and serviceability, and better assembly quality (that would keep the costs of ownership low)?
Must an independent company like Toyota fall in line with other companies' engine updating schedules? Could it be that Toyota's engines were that good 10 years ago that they are still ahead of the game now, and the reason that other companies have had to update their engines twice already is because they are still trying to catch up to Toyota?
Or, perhaps as you hinted at, Toyota has been updating their engines, but in ways that are not visible to the common consumer. Perhaps Toyota has been working to minimize noise, vibration and harshness, not to mention friction. That would all improve the engine without getting the "enthusiast" all excited.
Must an independent company like Toyota fall in line with other companies' engine updating schedules? Could it be that Toyota's engines were that good 10 years ago that they are still ahead of the game now, and the reason that other companies have had to update their engines twice already is because they are still trying to catch up to Toyota?
Or, perhaps as you hinted at, Toyota has been updating their engines, but in ways that are not visible to the common consumer. Perhaps Toyota has been working to minimize noise, vibration and harshness, not to mention friction. That would all improve the engine without getting the "enthusiast" all excited.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
LexFather
Car Chat
27
05-10-12 11:14 AM
LexFather
Car Chat
6
02-08-11 06:40 PM
LexFather
Car Chat
2
02-01-11 09:06 PM
