Autoblog Green

Honda Insight wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:12:00 EST

2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here in the United States, there are more Car of the Year Awards than you can shake a stick at, and apparently that's also the case in Japan. Just last week at the Tokyo Motor Show, the 2010 Toyota Prius won top honors in the 30th annual Japan Car of the Year voting. Now, Honda has sent out a notice that its revived Insight has won the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year.

According to Honda, there were three chief reasons the Insight won the award:

The strategy of affordable pricing Honda used in marketing the hybrid Insight
The Insight's balance of driving performance and environmental performance
The balance of performance and fuel economy at cruising and higher speeds offered by Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), Honda's original hybrid system

Any affordable vehicle that manages great fuel economy will be winner in the eyes of many, so it's not terribly surprising that the Insight took home this trophy. Still, sales results indicate that the Toyota Prius is still firmly entrenched as the number one hybrid to the majority of consumers around the world.

Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight

[Source: Honda]

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Honda Insight wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi iMiEV wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame's "Car Technology of the Year" Award

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, Japan

Mitsubishi was one of the first and most aggressive of the major automakers to jump back into the battery electric vehicle fray in recent years. The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has honored the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and in particular its MiEV OS control system as Car Technology of the Year. For a modern electric vehicle, the electronic control system is of critical importance to ensure that the battery operates reliably, safely and maximizes range.

The control system incorporates the battery management system, the energy system and the occupant comfort system. The energy system includes the regenerative braking and power saving systems. The occupant comfort manages vehicle acceleration and braking to achieve smooth acceleration and the climate control in order to minimize energy use. All of these subsystems work together to extract the most out smallest possible battery pack.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

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Toshiba to build second plant for automotive lithium batteries

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Japan

Toshiba, like most other battery manufacturers, has decided that the market for automotive grade lithium ion cells is going to be huge in the next decade. As a result it has decided to build a second factory dedicated to automotive battery production in Kashiwazaki, Japan. The new 355,000-square foot plant will cost about $274 million and construction is expected to start in April of next year with production scheduled to start about one year after that.

The plant will build Toshiba's SCiB cells which are claimed to have better thermal stability than traditional lithium cells while also having a much higher charge cycle life. The SCiB are rated for 6,000 charge cycles and can support rapid charging in 30 minutes. No automakers have publicly announced plans to use the cells, but Toshiba likely has someone lined up if it is committing to a second plant already.

[Source: Toshiba]

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Toshiba to build second plant for automotive lithium batteries originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Toyota develops its own flower species for cleaner air at Prius plant

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota, Carbon Offset, Green Daily, Japan

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Automakers make cars and trucks, no surprises there. Some even make other interesting things, like Honda, which also builds motorcycles, jets, robots and solar cells. But up until now, we haven't been able to think of any car companies that develop their own species of flowers. Thankfully, Toyota has reportedly stepped in to correct that oversight by creating two derivatives of the cherry sage and gardenia at its factory in Toyota City, Japan.

This is the plant where the Japanese automaker assembles the Prius hybrid, which seems fitting since the flowers were specifically chosen due to their ability to absorb nitrogen oxides and create water vapor. These attributes clean the surrounding air and lower temperatures at the factory.

Other environmentally-friendly efforts at the plant include roof-mounted solar panels, photocatalytic paint on exterior walls, reflective solar tubes that provide interior light and even slow-growing grass that only needs to be mowed twice per year (we've got dibs). According to Toyota, these initiatives help lower the carbon footprint at the plant, which is a good thing since production of the Prius hybrid is a carbon-intensive operation.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: drive.com.au]

REPORT: Toyota develops its own flower species for cleaner air at Prius plant originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2009: Toyota Prius claims Japan Car of the Year title

Drew Phillips — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Tokyo Motor Show, Japan

Thirty years of the Japan Car of the Year - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the past 30 years, Japan has declared a car of the year, an award given to newly-released or redesigned vehicles released from November 1st of the previous year to October 1st of the current year. More than 60 jurors composed of Japanese journalists receive an allocation of votes, and the car with the most votes comes away with the crown.

This year, the Toyota Prius narrowly edged out the Honda Insight, continuing the recent trend of environmentally-friendly winners. Other notable winners included the new Volkswagen Golf, which was named the Import Car of the Year, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which was declared to have the Most Advanced Technology. The Nissan Fairlady Z won the category of Most Fun, and finally the Subaru Legacy took top honors for Best Value.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the award, the Tokyo Motor Show also organized a display of past winners, starting with the Mazda Familia 3-door Hatch Back in 1980-1981 and finishing with last year's winner, the Toyota IQ. We've included the winners from every year (some cars on display won alternate categories, like the Toyota Supra from 1993-1994) in the high-res gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Tokyo 2009: Toyota Prius claims Japan Car of the Year title originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Honda considering electric car launch in major markets, CEO says

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show, Europe/EU, Japan, USA

Honda EV-N Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hybrids and fuel cells. That's where Honda seems to have put the vast majority of its engineering resources over the last decade or so, first with the two-seat Insight - the first hybrid sold here in the States, beating the much more successful Toyota Prius to market by a few months - and later the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle. According to company CEO Takanobu Ito, though, a new wind may be blowing into a town near you, and it's electric.

While the Japanese automaker sees hydrogen as the real solution to our dependence on petroleum, the fact that it's taking so long for a real hydrogen infrastructure to be built up around the world means that Honda is considering launching a fully electric automobile in major markets in Europe, Japan and the United States. Whether or not it will look anything like the EV-N concept from the Tokyo Motor Show remains to be seen... but we're hoping.

[Source: Reuters]

REPORT: Honda considering electric car launch in major markets, CEO says originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet SIM-Drive, the ¥1.5 million ($16,700) Japanese electric vehicle plan

Xavier Navarro — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Japan

Hiroshi Shimizu, the Japanese EV specialist behind the spectacular, eight-wheeled Eliica has announced the creation of SIM-Drive. This new manufacturer intends to sell electric vehicles in Japan that cost less than ¥1.5 million (about $16,700 US), opening the door to low-cost electric motoring. As price-conscious readers may suspect, there is one small detail missing: the price of the battery will not be included. Packs will be leased instead.

Shimizu has announced a program, sponsored by some non-specified Japanese partners, that would make the car available in near future, and he's ready to supply his EV technologies, notably his in-wheel motors, to anyone who wants to the SIM-Drive to customers.

[Source: Le Blog Auto]

Meet SIM-Drive, the ¥1.5 million ($16,700) Japanese electric vehicle plan originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Prius sales backlogged until May 2010 in Japan

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Japan

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota's successful launch of the 2010 Prius hybrid doesn't appear to be losing any momentum in Japan. According to the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association, the automaker moved a total of 31,758 Prius hybrids last month, making September the fifth straight month that the fuel-sipper was the best-selling car in its home market of Japan.

What's more, Toyota reports that there is a backlog of Prius orders that numbers well into the thousands. In fact, order a brand new Prius in Japan today and you're not likely to get your new car until May of 2010. One of the reasons cited for the car's continued performance are a series of incentives in Japan to boost the sales of fuel efficient vehicles, but those programs are currently scheduled to end next March.

Moving on down the line, the Honda Fit took second place in overall sales in Japan with 17,241 units sold. Honda's reborn Insight, which held the top position in April, its first month on the market, came in fifth position.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Canadian Press via Google]

Toyota Prius sales backlogged until May 2010 in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Nissan, Green Daily, Japan

Nissan Eporo Robot Cars - Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan sleeps with the fishes? Well, no... not exactly. But we'd guess someone in Nissan's Japanese think tank must watch a little too much Discovery Channel. We've all seen those amazing videos where unspeakably large schools of fish travel huge distances without anyone or anything to guide them. Somehow, it's all very organized and the fish don't seem to have any problems with traffic jams - which is more than we can say for us bipedal earth-goers. Apparently, Nissan has noticed the same thing.

Using two laser range finders mounted so that it has a 288-degree field of vision, Nissan's new Eporo robot cars can travel along at speeds of 1.4 km/h (less than one mile per hour), constantly changing direction as needed to maintain a safe distance from one another. The Japanese automaker suggests that such "Safety Shield" technology could eventually be applied to cars and trucks to help prevent accidents and traffic jams.

In addition to the obvious benefits of reduced roadway congestion and travel times, Nissan also points to the reduction in fuel usage, pollution and carbon emissions as potential results of its efforts. The new technology will be shown off at the CREATEC event next week in Japan. Click past the break for the press release.

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Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Sai to be brand's second dedicated hybrid, goes on sale Oct. 20

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota, Japan

2009 Lexus HS 250h - Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though there have been plenty of reports that Toyota would apply the Prius name to other hybrids in its lineup, thereby creating a Prius sub-brand, the upcoming second dedicated hybrid from the Japanese automaker bearing the Toyota name will be simply named the Toyota Sai. The Sai goes on sale in Japan on October 20th and slots in between the Prius and the Crown hybrid.

Featuring a more powerful engine than the Prius (a 2.4-liter gasoline engine compared to the 1.8-liter in the Prius), the Sai will look similar to the Lexus HS 250h (pictured). Lexus has been selling the HS 250h in Japan since July and in the U.S. for a few weeks.

Toyota isn't giving out any clues about the car's overseas potential, but if the car ever comes to the U.S., it'll be a pretty solid competitor to the Ford Fusion hybrid. There's a market for some Toyota badge engineering mixed with hybrid tech here, right?

Gallery: Lexus HS 250h

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Toyota Sai to be brand's second dedicated hybrid, goes on sale Oct. 20 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Prius gets tuned - on the outside - by Tommi Kaira

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Green Daily, Japan

Tommi Kaira Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Without actually, you know, tuning anything on the powertrain of the 2010 Toyota Prius, Japanese tuning company Tommi Kaira has unveiled its version of the third-generation iconic hybrid. The efficient sleekness of the original front end has been replaced by a new front lip spoiler and air intakes. The 2010 Prius' new vertical front lights get emphasized in the Tommi Kaira version, which somehow sort of works for us. The backside features a new bumper and a four-pipe exhaust system, which sends a confusing mixed message on a car this obviously green. Tommi Kaira also added larger wheels and lowered the ride height. No word yet on how much the package costs, but if we're going to spend extra money on a Prius, we sort of want it to go towards upping the mpg capabilities even further.

Gallery: Toyota Prius tuned by Tommi Kaira

[Source: Tommi Kaira]

Toyota Prius gets tuned - on the outside - by Tommi Kaira originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota readies a HS250h version for the Japanese market

Xavier Navarro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota, Japan

_{2009 Lexus HS 250h - Click above for high-res image gallery}

According to Japanese site Corism, Toyota is preparing a rebadged version of the Lexus HS 250h for its home market. The model, called the Toyota SAI, should slot nicely between the Prius and the Crown hybrid.

The main difference between the two models is said to be the lower equipment level in the Toyota versus its stablemate from Lexus, which helps reduce the sticker price of the car by about half a million yen (roughly $5,500). Lexus has only been a brand in Japan for four years, so the Toyota marketing department aims at selling more units of the car, regardless of what nameplate resides on the decklid. Sales of the new Toyota hybrid will reportedly start next November.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Lexus HS250h live reveal

[Source: Corism via Le Blog Auto]

Toyota readies a HS250h version for the Japanese market originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Prius sales take off in Japan; Toyota hires 800 new workers

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:09:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota, Japan

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

It seems hard to believe that Toyota, the World's Largest Automaker, hasn't had to hired any new contract workers in over a year, but it's apparently true. That unenviable record is about to be broken, though, as the Japanese automaker is reportedly set to hire 800 new contract workers at its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan.

Not surprisingly, its the redesigned 2010 Prius hatchback that's driving Toyota's hiring efforts. All told, Toyota sold 21,669 Prius hybrids in Japan last month, again making the fuel-sipper the best selling nameplate in Toyota's home market. By way of comparison, the Prius is the 14th best selling model here in the States.

Fuel efficiency has become a major selling point in Japan as the government has rolled out a series of incentives and high taxes on gasoline in an effort to spur sales of hybrid cars. Coming in after the Prius was the Honda Fit, followed by the Toyota Vitz (Yaris in the States). Honda sold 7,900 of these in August, making it the fourth best seller in Japan.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Detroit Free Press, AP via Google]

REPORT: Prius sales take off in Japan; Toyota hires 800 new workers originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Toyota to ask Japanese government to extend green car incentives

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:04:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota, Legislation and Policy, Japan

2010 Lexus HS 250h - Click above for high-res image gallery

It comes as little surprise that Toyota would want the Japanese government to extend its current series of green car incentives past their scheduled ending date of March, 2010. After all, the automaker has seen sales of its latest hybrids skyrocket in its home market, and much of that success has been attributed to the generous tax incentives levied on hybrid vehicles in Japan along with relatively high gas prices.

For instance, Toyota sold an impressive 22,292 Prius hybrids in the month of June in Japan, and some buyers are adding their names to waiting lists that could stretch for months. Sales of the Lexus HS 250h have also proven rather strong and the automaker has reportedly accepted 10,000 orders for the entry-level luxury hybrid in its first month on the market.

An election last Sunday saw the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party take a major hit from the Democratic Party in Japan. According to Reuters, it's now feared that the new lawmakers may put an early end to the hybrid incentive program, so Toyota is lobbying early and often to get the program extended through 2012.

Gallery: Lexus HS 250h

[Source: Reuters]

REPORT: Toyota to ask Japanese government to extend green car incentives originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Place to trial battery-swapping taxis in Tokyo

Domenick Yoney — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:56:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Transportation Alternatives, Japan, Better Place

When Better Place wanted to demonstrate how their battery switching station would operate they chose Yokohama Japan as the backdrop and now the land of the rising sun is returning some of that love. The electric vehicle infrastructure company has received an "award" to carry out a pilot project involving a switching station and battery-powered taxis operated by Nihon Kotsu in Tokyo. Although cabs comprise just two percent of the cars in Japan they're responsible for a whopping 20 percent of the CO₂ emitted. Expressing a desire to replace the entire 60,000-strong Tokyo fleet in the next decade, the trial gets underway modestly in January with up to four vehicles specially prepared using commercially available platforms by the venerable engineering firm Tokyo R&D Co. That company will also build the battery swapper, situated in the Roppongi Hills area in Central Tokyo, and supply the diagnostic software for the three-month test. Besides the taxi business, Better Place also has car rentals and sharing services on its "to do" list. The official press release awaits you after the break.

Gallery: Better Place battery swap station

[Source: Better Place / Bloomberg]
Original photo by letsputphotographsonthe internet. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

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Better Place to trial battery-swapping taxis in Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Lexus HS 250h in short supply; U.S. launch affected?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota, Japan, USA

2010 Lexus HS 250h - Click above for high-res image gallery

Once again, a hybrid sales success may mean shortages for Toyota as the Japanese automaker rolls out a desirable new product here in the United States. First, the new-for-2010 Prius hatchback proved to be such a stellar sales champ that Toyota found its production hampered by a shortage of batteries. Now, Automotive News reports that the new Lexus HS 250h is in such high demand in Japan that Toyota may not be able to provide an adequate supply of the luxury hybrid model here in the States.

Toyota had initially targeted 500 sales per month of the HS 250h in its home market, but a number of government-backed sales incentives and tax breaks for hybrid vehicles has boosted demand for the new sedan so much that Toyota saw 10,000 orders in its first month on sale in Japan. The Lexus HS 250h is scheduled to hit U.S. dealerships next month with a base price of $35,075 (including shipping), barring any unforeseen supply restrictions.

Gallery: Lexus HS 250h

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

REPORT: Lexus HS 250h in short supply; U.S. launch affected? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team behind Eliica EV to build electric shuttle bus for Japan

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Transportation Alternatives, Japan

Eliica concept electric car - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've always been fond of the Eliica (Electric Lithium-Ion Car) eight-wheeled electric car, which was designed and built by researchers of Keio University in Japan a few years back. Seriously, how can you not like such an interesting machine, especially since the Eliica is capable of some serious performance figures - how 'bout a top speed of 230 miles per hour, acceleration to 60 in 4.1 seconds and a range of 200 miles via an advanced lithium ion battery pack?

Last we heard, Keio University was looking for corporate sponsorship to put the Eliica into small-scale production. We're not sure what's up with that these days, but Popular Science reports that the team behind that project has branched out and turned its attention to an electric shuttle bus using similar technology with the hopes of having volume production underway in 2011.

Using a similar flat-floor platform as the Eliica with a body built by Isuzu Motors, a 120kW lithium ion battery developed by Toshiba and a charging infrastructure from Tokyo Electric Power Company, the group projects a 93-mile range from the shuttle bus. Typical buses in Tokyo reportedly average about 75 miles per day, so that should be plenty of battery capacity to complete its mission. Cost is expected to be in the same range as a common diesel bus if 500 units are made (including the battery) but with running costs that are a tenth of its oil-burning competitors.

Gallery: Eliica

[Source: Popular Science]

Team behind Eliica EV to build electric shuttle bus for Japan originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Toyota SAI hybrid coming to Japan later this year

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Japan

Rumors of a new Toyota Motor Company hybrid called the SAI have been floating around for a few months, but things are looking more likely now than ever. The Kyodo News is reporting that ToMoCo will release the SAI, a new medium-sized hybrid, in Japan later this year. The SAI will be bigger than the Prius and share some structure and looks with the Lexus HS 250h. It won't be a simple rebadging, and Green Car Congress says the price should fall somewhere between the two already-established hybrids.

To prepare for the new hybrid and more sales of current models, Toyota is increasing battery production so that the bottleneck that affected Prius sales can be minimized in the future.

[Source: Kyodo via Green Car Congress]
Image: Japan Car Blog.

REPORT: Toyota SAI hybrid coming to Japan later this year originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota, University of Tohoku improve lithium-ion batteries ten-fold (in the lab)

Xavier Navarro — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Toyota, Japan

_{2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery}

Toyota and the University of Tohoku have announced the development of a new technology that is able to boost the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. What's this new improvement all about? Current lithium-ion batteries are usually made from a polycrystalline form of lithium cobalt oxide that are connected with grains of graphite. The newly-developed batteries use a less graphite, just a single crystal. This frees more room for the storage of the ions that create the electrical charge. According to Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco, the improvement in storage is so large, that it can store up to 10 times more ions than current batteries which could result in a 10x increase in range. However, don't expect this breakthrough to result in amazing numbers form the plug-in Prius right away: Toyota says the technology needs at least a decade to come to fruition.

Gallery: 2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept

[Source: Automotive news (subs. req'd)]

Toyota, University of Tohoku improve lithium-ion batteries ten-fold (in the lab) originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daihatsu wants to make hybrids electric cars

Domenick Yoney — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Japan

Daihatsu Copen - Click above for high-res image gallery

Though its existence in the American market was short-lived and ended in 1992, Daihatsu still has a presence in as many as 37 countries today. The Japanese company sells a range of vehicles from the hard-top convertible Copen (above) to a 7 passenger version of its Terios SUV. Its vehicles are decidedly on the small side but despite already being quite stingy with fuel, they may soon be joined by some models that will use no gas at all. Company president Teruyuki Minoura says that if they can find batteries of high enough quality, they will make some all-electric mini vehicles. In fact, they've already sent some of their engineers over to Toyota, which has held a controlling interest in Daihatsu since 1999, to learn more about integrating batteries in the cars. Sounds like they're pretty confident about finding these elusive electron holders.

But why not go the hybrid route like Toyota? According to Minoura,

We cannot equip our current minivehicles with hybrid components. It would only add to the weight and would not be eco-friendly as a whole.

While that answer may sound reasonable, it might be noted that the Toyota Auris is not exactly gargantuan but there will be a hybrid version of it. Indeed, Daihatsu itself has a mild hybrid version of its Hijet mini cargo van. Whatever the reasons behind the decision, we're happy enough they're going to have fuel free models and look forward to seeing what they come up with. Check out a some of their current range in the gallery below to get an idea of Daihatsu's styling language.

Gallery: Daihatsu global range

[Source: Nikkei via Green Car Congress]

Daihatsu wants to make ~~hybrids~~ electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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