Month: 2026 年 1 月

TOKYO, Jan 16, 2026 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - A new-look TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team will begin its 10th season of competition when the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship gets underway with the iconic Rallye Monte-Carlo on January 22-25.2026 GR YARIS Rally1After a record-breaking 2025 campaign, TGR-WRT enters this year with the goal to successfully defend its manufacturers’, drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles. Not resting on its laurels, the team continues to work on improving the all-conquering GR YARIS Rally1 car, which also sports a striking new red, white and black livery.Making use of the homologation jokers available for the final season of the current Rally1 regulations, the team has focused on developments around aerodynamics and suspension. These include a new rear wing (fitted to the three manufacturer entries for round one) while the introduction of new parts to the suspension system allows for greater setup possibilities.The team once more counts on a strong and exciting driver line-up with all five GR YARIS Rally1 crews in action on round one.Sébastien Ogier claimed a record-equalling ninth world championship in a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 season, guided by co-driver Vincent Landais. He is also the most successful driver in the long history of Rallye Monte-Carlo, which is based in his hometown of Gap in the French Alps, having achieved his 10th victory one year ago.Before the start of the rally at Monaco Harbour on Thursday, a new special edition GR Yaris marking Ogier’s ninth title will be unveiled, and displayed alongside the GR Yaris MORIZO RR that was created with TGR-WRT Chairman Akio Toyoda and revealed at Tokyo Auto Salon.Elfyn Evans embarks on his seventh successive full season with TGR-WRT, along with co-driver Scott Martin. Last year’s championship runners-up, they have finished on the podium four times at Rallye Monte-Carlo during their time with the team, including second place in 2025.Joining the line-up for the 2026 season are Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson following their dominant run to last year’s WRC2 title in the GR Yaris Rally2 car plus victory on their GR YARIS Rally1 debut in Estonia. With six previous Rallye Monte-Carlo starts to his name, Solberg is the third final driver nominated to score manufacturers’ points for TGR-WRT.Also competing in a fourth car under the TGR-WRT banner are Takamoto Katsuta, looking to build upon a previous best finish of sixth on the event with co-driver Aaron Johnston. Sami Pajari meanwhile begins his second season under the TGR-WRT2 banner, with the goal to continue the strong progress he demonstrated during his rookie campaign last year alongside co-driver Marko Salminen.TGR-WRT’s commitment to supporting young drivers extends to the WRC Challenge Program. After demonstrating strong progress during 2025, the Program’s second-generation driver Yuki Yamamoto takes another step, embarking on a full season of WRC rallies driving a GR Yaris Rally2.Yamamoto’s is one of seven GR Yaris Rally2 cars entered on Rallye Monte-Carlo. Filip Mareš, Chris Ingram, Eliott Delecour (son of 1994 Rallye Monte-Carlo winner François), Olivier Burri and Johannes Keferböck are all registered within WRC2, with Paolo Vallivero also on the entry list.Rallye Monte-Carlo is famed for its often-changeable weather conditions which can bring ice and snow to the asphalt roads. Tyre choice can be crucial, with a wider range of rubber – some fitted with studs – available to suit the conditions. This year’s rally starts and finishes in Monaco’s harbour and, for the first time since 2008, includes a super special stage using part of the principality’s grand prix circuit.The action heads straight for the mountains on Thursday with three stages driven en route back to Gap, two of them in darkness. A trio of stages west of Gap are all run twice on Friday, while Saturday features three more mountain tests before the Monaco Circuit super special in the evening. A pair of repeated stages above Monaco form Sunday’s finale, including the rally-ending Power Stage over the famous Col de Turini.Quotes:Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)“It’s always exciting to be starting a new season, whether you’re a driver, a team principal, or a fan. It’s interesting to see the level of the teams and the drivers and who looks in good shape for the year ahead. With the development work we’ve done on the suspension and the aerodynamics, our GR YARIS Rally1 should be strong, but we know that our rivals have been working hard to improve too. Rallye Monte-Carlo is the most difficult and stressful event of the season but also the most rewarding if you can reach the podium in Monaco. Sébastien has done that more times than anybody else and I know that, even after taking his ninth world title, he will still be hungry to win. Elfyn too showed incredible performance throughout last season and doesn’t really need to do anything differently to be a contender again this year. We’re also excited to have Oliver joining our line-up and to see what he, Taka and Sami can do during the season.” Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)“After a short turnaround like always, I’m looking forward to the new season and to be hopefully fighting at the sharp end. I’m sure it’s going to be a competitive year and we will have to be at our best. There’s quite a lot of continuity in terms of the car and the tyres, and although we finished last season in a pretty good place, the team is always working to find improvements and that bit more performance that we as drivers are always asking for. Rallye Monte-Carlo is always a bit of an unknown in the sense that you cannot be sure beforehand what conditions you will face. It’s a huge challenge and it’s all about adapting as best as you can during the event.” Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)“It’s been nice to have some time to celebrate and appreciate what we achieved last year, but the focus is already on the new season when everyone starts again from zero. Even though I won’t be driving on every rally just as in the last few seasons, it’s still going to be quite an intense schedule. We will try to make the best of it together with this great team, which is always pushing hard to keep improving every year. As with every year, it’s exciting for me to start Rallye Monte-Carlo. It’s the rally that means the most to me and the one that made me dream, so it was a proud moment to win it for a 10th time last year. The target will be the same this time, but it never gets any easier.” Oliver Solberg (Driver car 99)“It’s a dream moment to be starting the new season as a Toyota Rally1 driver. I don’t have clear expectations in terms of results this year; I just want to do my job to the best of my ability and see how it goes. While I know the car quite well on gravel, I feel I still have some learning to do on asphalt. On this surface you feel a bigger difference from Rally2 to Rally1 machinery in terms of speed, but we’ve had some good testing and I have a very good feeling in the car. Rallye Monte-Carlo is an event that you just have to love, even if it’s really tricky and probably the most difficult rally of the year. It’s always a special experience and I’m really looking forward to it.” Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)“It’s always special to be starting a new season in Monte Carlo. The conditions are some of the trickiest we face during the season, so the feeling beforehand can be quite mixed: you’re looking forward to it, but at the same time you never know what will happen. We need to have good communication with our route note crews, who are giving us the latest information about the conditions, which can change very quickly. In our pre-event test we had ice and snow but it was melting, so we could also see how the car and tyres were working on wet asphalt, and I could feel some good progress. My target this year is to deliver more results and I’m ready to give my best.” Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)“It’s an exciting feeling to be starting my second season with the Rally1 car. Last year was pretty much all about learning, as in most of the rallies it was my first time there with this car. Still, in the second half of the year things were clearly going better and better, and now I’m feeling much more ready to be competitive. The car is pretty much the same as last year, as are the tyres, and I feel much more confident in understanding what it’s capable of. Rallye Monte-Carlo is maybe the most challenging event of the season with the chance for a big range of different conditions, but I hope to have a good feeling and enjoy it.” Yuki Yamamoto (Driver WRC Challenge Program GEN2)“I’m really excited to start this new season full of WRC events. While previous years have been more about gathering experience, I think it’s time to start performing and building up the pace consistently. I believe we can have some good results this season and hopefully some podiums and victories within WRC2. Rallye Monte-Carlo is a special one, and last year on my first time there wasn’t easy for me with a lot of new conditions and challenges. I’m not registered for WRC2 points, but I hope to learn more about this event and show the speed where I can, being smart about where to push and where to avoid risks.”Map Rallye Monte-Carlo 2026(Please visit www.wrc.com for the latest.) Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. 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TOKYO, Jan 16, 2026 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Mitsubishi Corporation (“MC”) has agreed to acquire all equity interests in Aethon III LLC, Aethon United LP, and related entities and interests (collectively “Aethon”). This transaction marks MC’s entry into the U.S. shale gas business across the value chain, from upstream ownership through domestic sales and export of produced gas.MC reached an agreement on January 16, 2026 with Aethon Energy Management and Aethon’s existing stakeholders, including Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, RedBird Capital Partners for a total equity investment of approximately USD 5.2 billion. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of Japan's fiscal year (April to June of 2026), subject to customary regulatory approvals.Building on MC’s established North American energy platform—which includes upstream shale gas development with Ovintiv in British Columbia, midstream marketing and logistics through CIMA Energy in Houston, LNG exports via LNG Canada and Cameron LNG, and power generation through Diamond Generating Corporation—this acquisition further strengthens MC’s integrated energy and power business.Aethon’s shale gas assets are primarily located in the Haynesville Shale formation, spanning Texas and Louisiana, and currently produce approximately 2.1 Bcf/d of natural gas (equivalent to about 15 million tons per year of LNG).Haynesville is a major supply source of natural gas for the growing southern U.S. market and offers favorable access to multiple LNG export terminals, including Cameron LNG, where MC holds liquefaction capacity rights under a tolling agreement. Aethon’s natural gas is currently sold in the U.S. southern market, and part of this volume is being considered for export as LNG to Asia, including Japan, as well as to Europe.Under its Corporate Strategy 2027, Leveraging Our Integrated Strength for the Future, MC has outlined a value creation framework of “Enhance,” “Reshape,” and “Create.” As part of “Create,” MC aims to drive growth through synergies across its existing business segments. This investment will not only strengthen the earnings base of MC’s natural gas and LNG businesses, but also accelerate efforts to build an integrated value chain in the United States—from upstream gas development to power generation, data center development, chemicals production, and related businesses.For an overview of Aethon and related entities, please refer to the disclosure materials on MC’s website.[Location of Haynesville]Presentation Material(pdf)About Mitsubishi CorporationMitsubishi Corporation (MC) is an integrated trading and investment company that develops and operates businesses across multiple industries together with its global network. MC has eight business segments: Environmental Energy, Materials Solution, Mineral Resources, Urban Development and Infrastructure, Mobility, Food Industry, Smart-Life Creation, and Power Solution.MaterialityBased on the Three Corporate Principles, which serve as MC’s core philosophy, MC has continued to grow together with society by contributing to the sustainable development of society through its business activities while pursuing value creation. While continuously creating Shared Value guided by the Materiality, a set of crucial societal issues, MC will continue to strengthen its efforts towards sustainable corporate growth. Guided by this Materiality, MC will continue to strengthen its efforts towards sustainable corporate growth. Out of the six material issues relating to “Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society and Striving to Enrich Society Both Materially and Spiritually”, this project’s activities particularly support “Contributing to Decarbonized Societies” and “Promoting Stable, Sustainable Societies and Lifestyles”.Inquiry RecipientMitsubishi CorporationTelephone:+81-3-3210-2171 Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

KXZ3 SeriesTOKYO, Jan 16, 2026 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. (MHI Thermal Systems), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has expanded its lineup for the KXZ3 Series of building-use multi-split air-conditioners which use low-environmental impact R32 refrigerant, in response to increasing demand in overseas markets, and begun mass production. To complement the existing three units in 22.4-33.5 kW models, a total of seven units in 40.0-67.0 kW range have been added in response to increasing demand in overseas markets. Sales will begin this spring in Europe, with sequential sales launches in Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey.With the addition of the units, the maximum system capacity, which had been 168.0 kW in a combination of three individual 56.0 kW models with the existing KXZ2 Series, has been expanded to 201.0 kW. In addition, this series, by flexibly combining up to three models, can be used to build an optimal air conditioning system best suited to installation conditions and operational purposes. For example, in environments with numerous restrictions, such as buildings in urban centers, a space-saving installation is possible even with the same capacity by selecting unit combinations that reduce the required installation footprint. Meanwhile, selecting high-efficiency unit combination enhances energy-saving performance and operating efficiency, helping to reduce running costs over the long term. All models have a uniform height of 1,750 mm, which gives a sense of unity to the external appearance, and makes it easy to connect the units, design piping, and install and maintain systems.In addition, this series significantly reduces a system's environmental impact. Compared to the KXZ2 Series, which uses R410A refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP)(1) of 2,088, the KXZ3 series uses R32 refrigerant, which has a GWP of 675, or about one-third that of the previous series. In terms of functionality, the energy efficiency has been improved with a new type of compressor and renewed air flow path design. Further, a "Variable Temperature & Capacity Control +" function has been added for a balance energy savings and indoor comfort, as well as a "hot gas bypass defrost" operating mode that lessens the fall in indoor temperature common with conventional defrosting operation.(2) MHI Thermal Systems also offers a lineup of dedicated safety devices that comply with European safety regulations. One such device, a shut-off valve that blocks the flow of refrigerant in the event of a refrigerant leak or other abnormality, is designed to accommodate multiple indoor units, helping to reduce installation costs.Consideration has also been given to the design. The 22.4-33.5 kW models released in Fiscal 2024 as the KXZ3 Series were highly praised for their exterior design that harmonizes with urban spaces, as well as their ability to reduce the environmental impact and achieve high energy savings. The series is characterized by a design that blends with the exterior environment, such as blue ornamentation, rounded corners, and flat panel surfaces, as well as its environmental performance. In recognition of this overall value, the KXZ3 Series received the A' Design Award 2025,(3) and the Australian Good Design Award.(4) The models added to the lineup also adhere to this design concept, achieving an integrated design with a sense of unity in their external appearance, even with combinations of units with different capacities or a large number of units.Going forward, MHI Thermal Systems will continue to offer solutions that combine energy efficiency and comfort in its air-conditioning business, including packaged and building-use air-conditioners for overseas markets, and contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality.(1) Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a coefficient of the greenhouse effect of a gas relative to carbon dioxide (CO2), which has a fixed GWP of 1.0. Smaller values indicate a lower greenhouse effect, and better environmental performance.(2) Conventional defrosting removes frost formed on the outdoor unit during heating operation. Because the airflow of the indoor unit stops during this operation, the indoor temperature may fall temporarily depending on the building conditions.(3) For more information on the awards received at A' Design Award 2025, see the following press release. https://www.mhi.com/news/25060401.html(4) For more information on the receipt of the Australian Good Design Award, see the following press release. https://www.mhi.com/news/25101701.htmlAbout MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com. Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com