Japan

It's official: Mitsubishi has recalled more than 4,300 plug-in vehicles, almost all of which are Outlander Plug-in Hybrids, because of battery issues, Automotive News says. Mitsubishi stopped production of the Outlander PHEV and the i-MiEV battery-electric in March because of a melted battery at ...

The Nissan Leaf isn't exactly synonymous with long-distance racing but that isn't stopping the Japanese automaker from using one of Japan's most recognizable endurance racers to promote the electric vehicle. Nissan has reached an agreement to sponsor Keiko Ihara, who has the distinction of being ...

Here's a story that certainly plays to stereotypes: a new network of hydrogen refueling stations being built in Japan are the work of, surprise, oil companies. As The Japan Times reports, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. and 12 other companies – including automakers – are working ...

Mitsubishi is looking to make up for lost ground from some fire-related issues by doubling production of its Outlander Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHEV) in Japan, Green Car Reports says. The Japanese automaker will ramp up to 4,000 Outlander PHEVs a month, up from the 2,000-unit target it set last ...

Toyota, looking to further boost the "shiny, happy" quotient of the model eco-district it's built in Japan's Toyota City, has installed a charging station specifically to be used for its single-passenger electro-mobility vehicles. The Smart Mobility Park charging station, located in Toyota ...

Mitsubishi continues to cool its heals because of one hot battery. Specifically, the Japanese automaker hasn't found a reason why the lithium-ion batteries in its Outlander plug-in hybrid-electric SUV are overheating and therefore will continue its production moratorium, Automotive News says. The ...

Sim-Drive continues to move towards its goal of evolving the gloriously fantastical all-electric eight-wheeled Eliica into a mass-produced passenger vehicle by 2015. Introducing the SIM-CEL (Cool Energy Link), the third iteration in the Sim series of prototypes. At first blush, this latest ...

There might be a crack in China's domination of rare earth metals – a mud-filled crack, thanks to a discovery by Japanese scientists. Vast reserves of rare earth metals that can be mined cheaply have been found in deep-sea mud on the Pacific ocean seabed. These essential metals are needed ...

Last week was a rough one for Mitsubishi and its efforts to broaden its appeal among potential plug-in vehicle buyers. Two fires caused the Japanese automaker to halt production of both the Outlander plug-in hybrid and a version of the all-electric i-MiEV. The two separate incidents – both ...

In a message that can't be lost in translation, Japanese Nissan Leaf owners want a longer single-charge range from their electric vehicles. That was the primary qualm from about 100 Leaf owners who attended a recent Nissan event with Nissan-Renault chief Carlos Ghosn. The owners, a small sample ...

Japan has been a real test market for electric vehicle ownership, especially for the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV. What have EV owners experienced in this market? While about one third are "green enthusiasts" who love the low energy costs and comfortable driving experience, another third say ...

In California, "low rider" has long implied a gas-guzzling hot rod. Toyota is now making that term a little more utilitarian in Japan. Toyota, working with Hino Motors and Yamato Transport Co., is testing out a pair of all-electric delivery van that will be used for refrigerated trucking in ...

Readers of a certain age might remember those bumper stickers with Yosemite Sam toting two six-shooters and yelling "Back Off!" He wasn't yelling "So you can burn more fuel!" but researchers are looking at how tailgating could save gas, and, in this case, are working with big rigs. The New ...

Nissan is taking the careful approach as it brings out its second electric vehicle. To show off the car's practicality, Nissan gave seven moms in suburban Japan the chance to test drive the New Mobility Concept vehicle to see how it works transporting their kids, going shopping and running ...

There are quite a few taxi operators testing out electric cars by adding Nissan Leaf EVs to their fleets – whether that be New York (pictured), Hong Kong or Mexico City. It's a channel for the global automaker to sell more of the cars and give more people their own experience of being ...

Read into this what you will, but Nissan may have given a subtle hint that it would prefer to have its all-electric Leafs powered by something safer than electricity make at a nuclear plant. The reason? The Japanese automaker recently presented a Leaf to an award-winning actor who starred in a ...

Mazda has some good news for a Thailand auto industry rebounding from floods that crippled production less than three years ago. The automaker will build a 26 billion yen ($286 million) factory in the country's Chonburi Province that will be used strictly to build Mazda's SkyActiv ...

How's this for a "willing buyer"? Toyota is going to recycle nickel-metal hydride batteries from old hybrids into energy management systems and will then sell those systems to Toyota dealerships in Japan. Starting in April, the company's Toyota Turbine and Systems Inc. division will sell an ...

The association representing the world's most prevalent fast-charging standard may be based in Japan, and the region in question might be Europe, but the CHAdeMO Association made its feelings clear about the European Commission's (EC) charging-infrastructure strategy in very, very plain ...

True to their name, the number of CHAdeMO-standard quick-charging stations for electric vehicles is growing real fast. The number of global stations that use Japan's quick-charging CHAdeMO standard has doubled in the past year to more than 2,000 units – and will more than double this year, ...