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[Richard230]

There was a long interpreting article in my newspaper today, written by Den Dooley and Hisako Ueno, published by the New York Times. It is titled "Japan holds back during rush toward electric vehicles". In general it says that the major Japanese automakers are holding back on developing all-electric vehicles, depending instead on gas hybrid-electric technology. Here are a couple of interesting statements in the article:

Japaneses automakers are "hanging on by there fingernails", he (Toyoda) added, and if Japan mandated a shift to all-electric vehicles which have fewer components and are easier to manufacture it could cost millions of jobs and destroy a whole ecosystem of auto parts suppliers.

Japanese automakers' reluctance to make the leap to all-electric vehicles, Yajima said, could lead them to suffer he same fate as the country's consumer electronics firms, which have largely faded into irrelevance because of the failure to stay ahead of market trends.

This article, while about Japanese auto manufacturers, makes me wonder if the same thing is going on with the four Japanese motorcycle manufactures. 

[Crissa]

After seeing how the Japanese government is talking about it, I've come to a different conclusion.

They know they can't be competitive in the battery market.  All the components would be imported.  They're screwed.  So batteries for building, grid is more important than fun vehicles.

-Crissa

[flynnstig82r]

Plug-in hybrids like the new RAV4 one do make more sense than full EVs for most people right now. You get enough range to cover local trips and most people’s commutes, and then when you take a longer trip you don’t have to have umpteen accounts for different charging networks or plan your trip differently. You just fill up like any other vehicle. The convenience factor could change in 5-10 years but for right now a plug-in is going to give you pretty much all the advantages of an EV without the drawbacks and for a lower price.

Also, the Japanese market isn’t really set up for EV’s. Something like half of car buyers don’t have garages and park on the street. A company like Toyota can focus on plug-in and standard hybrids and transition to EVs when it’s favorable. They’ve got plenty of experience and a supply chain for batteries and electric powertrains because of their hybrids, so they are not falling behind.