Electric vehicles challenging hybrid lead in Japan

Competition is intensifying in Japan’s green car market as electric vehicles take on the dominance of hybrids. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. are rushing to add hybrids to their line-ups, seeing the gas-electric vehicles as the mainstream of low-pollution cars for the immediate future. On the other hand, Nissan Motor Co. is betting on zero-emission electric vehicles, considered the ultimate eco-friendly option for drivers. Hybrids are currently taking a lead as the electric vehicle market opened only in July, when Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. rolled out the i-MiEV and the Plug-in Stella, respectively. Nissan plans to start producing 50,000 electric vehicles at a plant in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, next Fall. It also plans to produce such cars in the United States. Nissan will become the world’s leading maker of electric vehicles, said President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn. Toyota and Honda see electric vehicles facing hurdles to becoming the mainstream. While gas-fueled cars can run 500 to 600 kilometers without refueling, electric vehicles can go barely around 160 kilometers on a single charge. The limited number of battery charging stations in Japan poses another problem. (July 24, 2009)