Japan is catching up on battery-powered cars

Japan is one of the leading industrial nations in the world, with auto production being a major pillar of the domestic economy. Yet, when it comes to battery-powered electric vehicles, the country’s largest manufacturers have been left behind by the latest technological shift in the automobile sector.

After focusing primarily on hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles in the past, Japan is increasingly branching out in EV technologies. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the stock volume of electric vehicles in Japan amounted to over 205 thousand units in 2017, while about 18 thousand electric cars were registered in the same year, accounting for a share of roughly one percent within the domestic automotive market.

In early 2018, several Japanese vehicle manufacturers joined the newly founded company EV C.A. Spirit Corporation. The venture established by Toyota, Mazda and Denso is seen as an agreement among Japan’s top automotive players to collaborate on affordable electric vehicle technologies to catch up with international rivals’ production of battery-powered cars. Besides engineers from the founding enterprises, the project, which was set up in September 2017, brings together the know-how of renowned Japanese automakers Subaru, Suzuki, Daihatsu and Hino.