Automakers have already had to cut production because of difficulties finding semiconductors and other components as the pandemic disrupts manufacturing around the world.

A spike in infections has forced governments in Asia to impose fresh lockdowns and curbs, which are causing disruptions in parts supply across the region, adding to a global chip shortage.

The three-day suspension is likely to mean a production fall of 3,500 vehicles.

The automaker has asked suppliers to make up for lost output so it can build an additional 97,000 vehicles between December and the end of March, Reuters reported.

The automaker is betting that its cars will appeal to younger Japanese buyers who are also more open to trying South Korean imports, thanks to the local success of electronics brands and hip Korean culture.

The move provides continuity and senior leadership as the country’s carmakers grapple with the shift to carbon neutrality.

The quake triggered a tsunami, caused blackouts as far away as Tokyo, derailed the country's famed bullet train and buckled highways that serve as critical supply arteries.

The latest stoppages will bring lost output to 9,000 vehicles, the automaker said, and affect production of Lexus models and the Land Cruiser.

Toyota said it would slash its global production plan for April by 150,000 units to 750,000 vehicles, compared with the original schedule reported to suppliers earlier this year.

Nissan and Mitsubishi are using technology developed by Mitsubishi on the discontinued i-MiEV to tap huge Japanese demand for all-electric runabouts in the minicar segment.

The planned four-day halt to production at a Tsutsumi factory line, which makes Camry and Corolla models, will cut vehicle output by as many as 1,500 vehicles.

Toyota's overseas output climbed 5.6 percent to 3.35 million vehicles through June, while production in Japan fell 18 percent to 1.73 million.

Greg Kelly, accompanied by his wife, Dee, was escorted to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, by the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, and checked in to a flight for home.

Kelly said coming home after his three-year legal odyssey in Japan was “like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz,” as he choked up with emotion during a press conference from Nashville. “There’s no place like home,” he said.

Demand for the popular utility vehicles has outstripped Toyota's capacity to produce them as the Japanese carmaker grapples with supply chain disruptions.

Akio Toyoda, in his role as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, expressed shock and sadness at the killing.

 Americans won't be affected because the Land Cruiser was dropped in the U.S.

The number of EV charging stations in Japan fell to around 29,200, down from more than 30,300 the previous year.

Ghosn, the fugitive automotive icon, says the Tokyo court’s conviction of his onetime deputy Greg Kelly is a “warning” to foreigners doing business in Japan.

The latest January suspensions hit 19 lines at 11 plants in Japan, out of a total of 28 lines in 14 plants.

The Nissan Z car, a 400-hp, twin-turbo symbol of the struggling Japanese automaker's revival, is the latest product launch to be derailed by global supply chain woes.

BYD, in targeting a major market, already sells EVs and plug-in electric hybrids in many smaller countries and regions, including Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia.

The automaker expects the impact to extend beyond this month and said production in early October will also fall short of initial expectations.

Rahm Emanuel, nominated as the next top U.S. diplomat to the longtime Asian ally, says he has ordered a review of Kelly’s legal odyssey in Japan and is making the matter a “top priority.”

Toyota's leader is warning the government that its road map to net-zero emissions needs to be better tailored for the nation's economy.