The investigative committee tasked by truck and bus maker Hino Motors blamed the scandal on an environment where engineers did not feel able to challenge superiors, in a rare criticism of corporate culture in Japan.

VW brand, Audi and Seat will all cut production with the group's Wolfsburg plant in Germany restarting output with only one shift next week after the summer break.

Toyota Motor North America's announced plans to build a battery plant may require the Japanese automaker to build another assembly plant in the U.S.

Experts warn that failure to obtain adequate supplies of lithium, nickel, manganese or cobalt could slow the shift to electric vehicles.

While Tesla has led the development of the global EV market, the two giants of automaking are determined to defend their dominance.