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German automotive giant Volkswagen is planning to launch the iconic “Scout” brand as an electric vehicle in the United States.
Volkswagen confirms to CNBC that its supervisory board will vote on the proposal on Wednesday.

This image, from 2019, is of a refurbished Scout. The brand was originally built by International Harvester between 1961 and 1980.
Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Volkswagen is planning to resurrect the iconic “Scout” brand as an electric vehicle in the United States.
In a report late Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal said the German automotive giant was aiming to launch a “new Scout-branded electric sport-utility vehicle” as well as an electric pickup truck, also under the Scout name.

Volkswagen confirmed to CNBC that its supervisory board would vote on the proposals on Wednesday.
The Scout’s history dates back to the 1960s, when International Harvester — today known as Navistar International Corporation — started development.
According to Navistar, the Scout was “marketed as an all-terrain family recreational vehicle” before evolving into a “true SUV.” Production of the Scout ceased in 1980. Today, Navistar is part of the Traton Group, which is itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
Reuters, citing two people with knowledge of the matter, said Wednesday that VW would invest roughly 100 million euros ($105.49 million) in the new brand, adding that it would potentially look for “external funding through investors or an IPO to expand its production capabilities.”

Electric ambitions

In July 2021, the Volkswagen Group said half of its sales were expected to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030. By the year 2040, the company said almost 100% of its new vehicles in major markets should be zero-emission.

VW’s electrification plans put it in direct competition with long-established automakers like GM and Ford, as well as relative newcomers such as Tesla.
Recently, Ford CEO Jim Farley said his business planned to “challenge Tesla and all comers to become the top EV maker in the world.”
In March 2021, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess dismissed the notion his firm could join forces with Tesla, telling CNBC that the company was looking to go its own way.
Speaking to “Squawk Box Europe,” Diess was asked if he would rule out any future deal with Elon Musk’s electric car maker, in which VW could manufacture its cars, or if the Tesla and VW brands would ever unite.
“No, we haven’t considered [that], we are going our own way,” he replied. “We want to get close and then overtake.” 
—Chloe Taylor contributed to this article. More

Thibaut Mongon, the current leader of J&J’s consumer health business, will become CEO of the standalone company.
J&J announced in November that it would sheer off the consumer health business from its faster-growing medical devices and pharmaceutical portfolios.
In the first quarter of this year, consumer health sales declined 1.5% to $3.59 billion as compared with the same period in 2021, due to supply constraints that mainly impacted its skin health and beauty products.

Signage is displayed outside of Johnson & Johnson headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Aug. 1, 2020.
Mark Kauzlarich | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday announced that the current head and the chief financial officer of its consumer health portfolio will lead the business when it spins off into a separate publicly traded company in 2023.
Thibaut Mongon, the current leader of the consumer health business, will become CEO of the standalone company, and Paul Ruh will remain in his current role of chief financial officer. Mongon has served as J&J’s consumer health leader since 2019, and Ruh has served as CFO since 2017.

Executive Chair Alex Gorsky said J&J conducted an external executive search, but decided that Mongon and Ruh were best equipped to lead the standalone company.
J&J announced in November that it would sheer off the consumer health business from its faster-growing medical devices and pharmaceutical portfolios.
The consumer health business makes common household products and over-the-counter medicines such as Tylenol, Band-Aid, Listerine, Neutrogena and Aveena skin care, and Johnson’s baby products.
Consumer health sales grew 4.1% to $14.6 billion in 2021, while J&J’s pharmaceutical sales grew 14.3% to $52 billion and medical devices sales grew nearly 18% to $27 billion last year.
In the first quarter of this year, consumer health sales declined 1.5% to $3.59 billion as compared with the same period in 2021, due to supply constraints on ingredients and packaging materials particularly for its skin health and beauty products. However, J&J CFO Joe Wolk said demand was strong for over-the-counter medicine such as Tylenol and Motrin.
The consumer health business faced tens of thousands of lawsuits in recent years that alleged its talc baby powder contained cancer-causing asbestos. J&J created a subsidiary that was placed in bankruptcy to resolve the claims. The company stopped selling the baby powder in the North American market in 2020, but still sells its elsewhere in the world.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:

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Packed planes and more expensive tickets drove down customer satisfaction with airlines over the past year for the first time in a decade, according to a J.D. Power survey published Wednesday.
Customer satisfaction dropped among travelers across all the ticket classes.
In March, domestic U.S. airfares were 20% higher than 2019, according to Adobe data.

Travelers wait in line at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
Christopher Occhicone | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Packed planes and more expensive tickets drove down customer satisfaction with airlines for the first time in a decade over the past year, according to a J.D. Power survey published Wednesday.
“Customer satisfaction with North American airlines climbed to unprecedented highs for all of the wrong reasons during the past two years,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, in the report on North American airlines. “Fewer passengers meant more space on airplanes, less waiting in line and more attention from flight attendants. But that business model was simply not sustainable.”

Air travel demand surged over the past year, along with fares, following a prolonged pandemic slump.
In March, domestic U.S. airfares were 20% higher than 2019 as Covid cases dropped and cities lifted pandemic restrictions on activities such as indoor dining and concerts, according to Adobe Analytics. The rise in ticket prices has outpaced bookings, according to Adobe.
But customer satisfaction dropped among travelers across all the ticket classes — coach, premium economy and first or business class — according to the survey, which was based on responses from 7,004 passengers from March 2021 through March 2022. It was the first year-over-year decline since the 2012 survey, Taylor said.
JetBlue Airways topped the rankings of first- and business-class service among North American carriers, while Southwest Airlines came in first for economy and basic economy.
Here’s how the carriers stacked up and their scores out of 1,000:

First/Business Class

JetBlue Airways (878)
Alaska Airlines (876)
Delta Air Lines (862)
Air Canada (832)
United Airlines (822)
American Airlines (814)

Economy/Basic Economy

Southwest Airlines (849)
JetBlue Airways (828)
Delta Air Lines (813)
Allegiant Air (803)
Alaska Airlines (794)
Air Canada (777)
United Airlines (774)
Spirit Airlines (772)
American Airlines (770)
Frontier Airlines (755)
WestJet (751)

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SAN ANTONIO — Ford Motor’s new F-150 Lightning is an electric pickup truck. That may seem obvious given it looks like a truck and has electric motors and a battery pack instead of an engine, but it needs to be said.
Why? Because a successful battery-powered pickup is a critical step in the EV transition, for Ford and the industry at large.

While industry leader Tesla has proven consumers will purchase electric cars and Rivian Automotive has shown there’s demand for electric lifestyle vehicles, the F-150 is the most significant test thus far as to whether EVs can move from compliance vehicles and niche trucks to a product that will entice more mainstream buyers.
The electric pickup market, though still largely unproven, is going to be important for investors to watch in the coming years. Trucks traditionally have fat profit margins and account for about 20% of vehicles sold in the U.S., according to auto intelligence firm Edmunds.
LMC Automotive expects the U.S. electric pickup market to increase from about 25,000 vehicles this year to 1 million or so by 2030. There are anticipated to be five electric pickup models available on the market this year, and that’s expected to jump to 21 over the next decade.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning is the first traditional pickup truck to go electric. It’s not a GMC Hummer EV “supertruck.” It’s not a Tesla “Cybertruck.” It’s not a Rivian R1T “adventure vehicle.” It’s a pickup truck, electrified.
The benefits of the F-150 Lightning are similar to the Hummer EV and Rivian R1T, but these electric pickups — the only ones being sold currently in the U.S. — are not created equal. The three drive differently, and will appeal to different buyers once sales move past early adopters into more general, EV-curious buyers.

F-150 Lightning

The Lightning lives up to the F-150 name in both function and form, acting as a bridge between the traditional pickup people know and a new EV. It shares many of its design and parts with its traditional sibling, aside from the powertrains, some design tweaks and an optional 15.5-inch control screen.
It’s also priced like a traditional pickup, ranging from about $40,000 to more than $90,000. That’s similar to Ford’s current lineup of large four-door pickups and in line with average prices of about $61,000 for a full-size pickup, according to Cox Automotive.
An electric pickup for the masses is something Ford was in a unique position to bring to market. Its F-Series lineup, including the F-150, has been the best-selling vehicle in America for 40 years and the top truck for 45 years.
The company set out to make an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, and it succeeded. The vehicle operates as a full-size truck. But the electrification brings added benefits of essentially instantaneous torque, increased storage through a massive front trunk, or “frunk,” where an engine would traditionally be — and it removes the burden of having to fill up on gas.
The Lightning drives like an F-150 should, and that’s not a bad thing. Ford and other automakers have increasingly transformed pickups from harsh-riding work trucks to comfortable vehicles capable of navigating smoothly on and off road.

The vehicle’s large battery provides for an even better ride, as it keeps the vehicle more grounded and provides a closer 50-50 weight ratio for better balance. On top of that, it provides an even towing experience because EVs don’t require transmission gear changes, which are especially noticeable when towing cargo.
While the Lightning is capable of scaling hills or even a little rough terrain, it doesn’t match up to the Hummer or R1T in that regard — but that’s by design. This is a truck meant for mainstream buyers, not a niche segment. Ford at some point may offer such a hardier vehicle, but this isn’t it.
The F-150 Lightning is capable of up to 580 horsepower and 775 foot-pounds of torque. Consumer models with its top-end 131-kWh battery start at about $72,500 and have a range of up to 320 miles on a single charge. Its towing capacity is up to 10,000 pounds —between that of the Hummer and R1T. Vehicles with smaller batteries and a range of 230 miles are less expensive but also offer less performance.

Electric Ford F-150 Lightning
Andrew Evers / CNBC

One of the Lightning’s most unique advantages over the Hummer and R1T is its capabilities for on-board power generation. Ford loaded the vehicle with outlets and a bi-directional charging system that can power a work site or a home in the event of a blackout for up to 10 days, depending on energy usage.
Ford started shipping the F-150 Lightning earlier this month for select fleet buyers and more than 200,000 reservation holders. The company has not announced when it will reopen its order bank, as it plans to ramp up production to 150,000 vehicles by mid-2023.

R1T

The Rivian R1T has a bit of first-mover advantage in the electric pickup market; production began last fall but is ramping up slowly. The R1T is capable in both performance and off-roading, going 0-60 mph in about three seconds like a sports car, but it can scale rocks or large hills like a Jeep SUV.
Its interior and exterior styling, with vegan leather and real wood, are more Tesla-like chic than off-road brute. It’s also a much smaller vehicle — about 16 inches shorter, in fact — than the F-150 Lightning, making it more comparable to a Ford Ranger or Jeep Gladiator.

That speaks to how Rivian is positioning its products as “adventure vehicles.” It’s how Jeep has described its SUVs for years, making Rivian more of a threat to the Stellantis SUV brand than the F-150.
For now, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe agrees, telling CNBC during a recent interview that the three pickups are each “pretty different products.” Cross-shopping between the Rivian R1T, the Hummer and the F-150, he said, are extremely low: “Clearly the objective and goals are different.”
Edmunds reports shoppers looking at the R1T most often comparison shop the Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover and other EVs, rather than other pickups.
However, Scaringe has alluded to plans for a full lineup of vehicles at Rivian, which theoretically could include a larger truck.

Rivian R1T electric pickup truck
Source: Rivian

Starting pricing for the R1T ranges from $67,500 to $85,000. Vehicles currently available have up to 314 miles of range on a single charge with a 128.9-kWh “large” battery. Performance versions with four motors combine to produce 835 horsepower and 908 foot-pounds of torque. The vehicle can tow up to 11,000 pounds — an important metric for many pickup owners.

Hummer

There’s a reason GM resurrected Hummer, a brand infamously popular in the 1990s and 2000s for its excessive, gas-guzzling vehicles. Whether you loved Hummers or hated them, you knew them. That means GM had brand awareness baked in as long as the new EV stayed true to form for the brand, and it does.
The Hummer EV pickup looks like a modernized version of its descendants. It’s large, flamboyant and extremely capable.
Instead of guzzling gas, it drains lots of energy. The electric Hummer is reportedly the least efficient electric truck of the three at 47 MPGe, an electric vehicle range equivalent for miles per gallon. That compares to 70 MPGe for both the R1T and F-150 Lightning. But again, it’s Hummer, so what did you expect?

The Hummer’s off-road capability also stands out compared with the other two pickups, which helps explain its lower efficiency and more than 9,000-pound weight.
This Hummer can scale rock climbs with ease, while also proving a smooth on-road experience and exceptional hands-free highway driving with GM’s Super Cruise system. It also features removal roof panels that can fit into the vehicle’s frunk and many other special and hidden features, including a “crab walk” mode and faster charging than the other trucks.
GM threw everything it had and more into the Hummer in terms of off-road and performance parts. Its $110,000 starting price is a testament to that, ahead of lower-priced variants expected in the years ahead that could start at $79,995.

GMC Hummer EV Edition 1
Michael Wayland / CNBC

The current top-end Hummer, despite its weight, can achieve 0-60 mph in about three seconds with its “Watts to Freedom,” or “WTF” mode. It’s capable of up to 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 foot-pounds of motor torque. Its range on a single charge is up to 329 miles with a 212.7-kWh battery pack (of which 205 is usable, GM says). It can tow up to 7,500 pounds, the lowest lift of the three electric pickups.
Unlike with the Rivian pickup, Edmunds reports some notable cross-shopping between the electric Hummer and its less rugged competitors. Buyers interested in the Hummer look at the R1T and the Lightning for comparison more than any other models.
That crossover, though, still only represents about 9% of those truck seekers.

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As countries across Asia reopen to international travelers, Japan — one of the continent’s most popular destinations — remains firmly closed.
That may soon change. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Thursday at a news conference in London that Japan will ease border controls in June.

Locals often celebrate the easing of pandemic-related border restrictions, but some in Japan say they are fine keeping the measures in place.
Even before the pandemic, many locals preferred to travel within the country, with domestic tourism totaling $21.9 trillion yen ($167 billion) in 2019, according to government-backed Japan Tourism Agency.
Although Japanese people are currently allowed to travel abroad, many “don’t want to go overseas” and choose to “travel inside the country” instead, said Dai Miyamoto, the founder of travel agency Japan Localized.
Izumi Mikami, senior executive director at Japan Space Systems, visited Kyushu Island and Okinawa Island, two tourist hot spots before the pandemic. He said he felt safer with fewer tourists around.
Some people are taking the opportunity to be outdoors after spending much time at home.

Shogo Morishige, a university student, took multiple ski trips to the Nagano — the prefecture that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympic Games — and said it was “surprisingly crowded” with locals.
“Everyone similar to us had not traveled for a long time … Right now, it’s almost as if [Covid-19] isn’t really here,” said Morishige. “I don’t think anyone’s too scared of it anymore.”
Others ventured to new destinations.
“After moving to Yamagata prefecture, I started going to places I would not normally go, such as ski resorts … hot springs in the mountains and aquariums and sandy beaches,” said Shion Ichikawa, a risk management employee at internet firm, Line.

Tours are changing

International travelers to Japan fell from nearly 32 million in 2019 to just 250,000 in 2021, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
With a clientele of nearly all locals, some tour companies redesigned their tours to conform to local interests.
Japanese travelers steered away from visiting big cities and are opting for outdoor experiences that they can “discover by foot,” said Miyamoto. So Japan Localized — which catered its tours to English-speaking foreigners before the pandemic — collaborated with local tour company Mai Mai Kyoto and Mai Mai Tokyo to provide walking tours in Japanese.
People across Japan are also spending time at camping sites and onsen — or hot spring — spas, said Lee Xian Jie, chief developer at tour company Craft Tabby.
“Campsites have become very popular,” he said. “Caravan rentals and outdoor gear sales have been doing very well because people are going outdoors a lot more.”
Luxury onsens popular with younger people “are doing quite well,” but traditional onsens are suffering as the elderly are “quite scared of Covid” and do not go out much, Lee said.

Craft Tabby used to operate walking and cycling tours in Kyoto, but transitioned online when the pandemic hit. As countries reopen their borders, “online tours have not been doing well” and participation has “dropped to almost zero,” Lee said.
Tourists’ appetites are changing and people are looking for “niche” activities in “rural areas where it isn’t so densely populated,” he said.
Lee now lives south of Kyoto in a village called Ryujinmura and is planning to operate tours in the rural town once tourists are back.
“We need to think of tours and activities up here where people can explore new stuff,” he added.

‘Over-tourism’

Japan welcomed nearly 32 million international visitors in 2019 — up from just 6.8 million just ten years prior, according to Japan Tourism Agency.
The rapid increase in tourists caused major draws, such as the culturally rich city of Kyoto, to struggle with over-tourism.

Residents in Kyoto are now saying that “silence is back,” said Miyamoto, who recounted instances where foreign tourists spoke loudly and were discourteous to locals.
Similarly, Lee said that “a lot of people who were quite upset about over-tourism in Kyoto” are now saying “it feels like how Kyoto was 20 years ago — the good old Kyoto.”
But that may be coming to an end.

Is Japan ready to move on?

Prime Minister Kishida’s announcement may not be welcome news for portions of the Japanese population.
More than 65% of respondents in a recent survey conducted by the Japanese broadcasting station NHK said they agreed with the border measures or believed they should be strengthened, according to The New York Times.
Local reports indicate international travelers may need multiple Covid-19 tests and a packaged tour booking to enter, though JNTO told CNBC that they have yet to receive word on this. Still, this may not be enough to pacify some residents.
Foreign visitor spending contributes less than 5% to Japan’s overall gross domestic product, so “it is not necessarily surprising for the government to make decisions prioritizing” other industries, said Shintaro Okuno, partner and chairman of Bain & Company Japan, referring to why the country had stayed closed.

Women wearing kimonos tie “omikuji” fortune strips outside the Yasaka Shrine during Golden Week holidays in Kyoto, Japan, on Tuesday, May, 3, 2022.
Kosuke Okahara | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The recent decision is likely to be most unpopular with Japan’s elderly citizens, said Ichikawa. Nearly 1 in 3 are over 65 years old, making Japan home to the largest percentage of elderly people in the world, according to the research organization PRB.
“The elderly tend to be more prejudiced than younger people that Covid-19 is brought in by foreigners,” said Ichikawa. “It is understandable that in Japan — a country of elderly people — politicians must tighten the borders to protect them physically and psychologically.”
When the pandemic was at its peak, Japanese were even wary of people from other parts of Japan visiting their hometowns.
“I saw signboards at public parks and tourist attractions saying ‘no cars from outside Wakayama,'” said Lee. “People were quite fearful of others from outside the prefecture.”
However, residents living in cities may feel differently.
“Japan is too strict and conservative” in controlling Covid-19, said Mikami, who is based in Tokyo.
Miyako Komai, a teacher who lives Tokyo, said she is ready to move on.
“We need to invite more foreign people” so Japan’s economy can recover, she said. “I don’t agree that we want measures to be strengthened … We need to start living a normal life.” More