rethink

May 6 (Asia Today) — Honda and Nissan are overhauling their electric vehicle strategies in North America as policy changes and weaker demand reshape the market, Japanese media reported Wednesday.

Honda has indefinitely postponed construction of a major EV production hub in Ontario, Canada, while Nissan has scrapped plans for U.S. EV production and will focus instead on expanding its hybrid lineup, according to Nikkei.

Honda announced the Ontario project in April 2024. The plan called for vehicle and battery plants with annual production capacity of 240,000 units and a total investment of 15 billion Canadian dollars, or about $11 billion.

The project had already secured land and government support, but Honda delayed the launch by two years in 2025 after EV market growth fell short of expectations. Nikkei said the plan could eventually be canceled depending on the direction of North American policy.

The shift comes as the Trump administration’s rollback of EV tax credits has increased consumer costs, while relaxed environmental rules have reduced pressure on automakers to expand EV production.

U.S. EV sales fell 36% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, while hybrid vehicles rose from 11% to a record 19% of the market.

Japanese automakers are expected to prioritize hybrids to protect profitability in North America as a near-term EV recovery appears unlikely.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260506010000998

As a prominent labour organiser, Chavez helped lead a major strike against Delano grape growers in the 1960s, which sparked boycotts across the country, in order to gain better wages and conditions for workers. His mantra, “si, se puede” – which means “yes, we can” in Spanish – has been adopted by activists and politicians who came after him, and was even used by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign during his first run for office.

A number of European clubs have called on Uefa to change the Champions League rules and allow teams from the same country to draw each other in the league phase.

It comes amid concerns that the growing power of the Premier League is having a negative impact on teams from other countries.

Since the new Champions League format was introduced for the 2024-25 season country protection – which means no teams from the same league can play each other – has remained in place for the eight games that make up the first phase of the competition.

It is then removed for all the knockout rounds.

But with three English clubs in Pot 1 for this season’s league phase, draw conditions had to be placed upon the non-English clubs in order for the rule to be respected.

Teams felt aggrieved that it effectively increased the chances of a harder draw.

It meant Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid all had to play two games against Premier League teams.

Some were forced to take Arsenal, Spurs or Newcastle from Pots 2, 3 and 4 to avoid deadlocking the draw.

For instance, PSG and Barcelona had to be given a fixture against Newcastle from Pot 4. Without the restriction they could have faced Kairat Almaty or Pafos.

On paper at least, being forced to pay the Magpies is more difficult.