Daihatsu pushes efficiency to fight green-car rivals

Daihatsu Motor Co., on track to become Japan’s top mini-car producer for the fifth straight year, is rushing to boost its competitiveness against the rising wave of green cars by raising the mileage of its vehicles as well as improving production efficiency. The carmaker’s stock closed on September 1 at ¥1,128 (US$13.42), up 6.3% from the previous day, defying the market’s general bearishness, after hitting its year-to-date high at one point. (September 2, 2010)