Tokyo — Honda Motor plans to end production at its Sayama plant in Japan by 2022, cutting domestic capacity by about 24% as it shifts focus to electric cars (EVs) and other new technologies. The car maker’s domestic sales have stagnated and it said on Wednesday it was streamlining its Japanese operations, taking a more nimble approach to development and manufacturing in the face of fierce competition from rival car makers and technology companies to make EVs and self-driving cars. "As we focus more on adopting electrification and other new technologies, we want to hone our vehicle manufacturing expertise in Japan and expand it globally," CEO Takahiro Hachigo told a press conference. Hachigo has been trying to revive a culture of innovation at Japan’s third-biggest car maker, after a number of major product recalls in recent years as well as lacklustre product offerings, partly because it focused so much on increasing volumes and profit. Honda said it would end production at the agei...
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