Japanese auto parts makers scramble to prepare for EV shift

TOKYO -- Nearly eight decades ago, the forerunner of KYB Corp. latched onto the automotive sector when Japan's defeat in World War II ended its previous business supplying hydraulic devices for military aircraft.

These days, company officials are once again looking to adapt KYB's know-how to a new area as its main product line -- conventional automotive shock absorbers that make use of its original hydraulic expertise -- is under threat due to commitments by Japan and other governments to reach net-zero carbon emissions.