TOKYO —
The following are questions and answers on features and challenges of electric vehicles.
Q: What is an EV?
A: It is a vehicle with a motor run by electricity. Many EVs, including the Leaf which will be launched by Nissan Motor Co on Dec 20, are equipped with rechargeable batteries. As capability of a battery holds the key to EVs’ performance, many EVs use advanced lithium-ion batteries.
Q: What are an EV’s features?
A: It emits no exhaust gas such as greenhouse gas because it does not have an engine, prompting many automakers to announce plans to market EVs as next-generation eco-friendly cars. Electricity expenses for driving EVs are cheaper than fuel costs for gasoline cars, and EVs produce little noise or vibration when driving.
Q: What are an EV’s challenges?
A: The driving distance for an EV per charge is relatively short, while vehicle prices are higher than gasoline cars because they are equipped with high-performance batteries. There is also limited infrastructure for charging, which takes significant time compared with gasoline vehicles that only take a few minutes to be filled up.
Q: Why are many automakers rushing to develop EVs?
A: As many local governments such as California are moving to introduce environmental measures in the near future, automakers are making efforts to develop the zero-emission vehicles to meet tighter regulations. In addition, automakers apparently want to enhance their brand strength by utilizing the forward-looking image of EVs.
Q: What are Japan’s measures to make EVs widespread?
A: The central government provides subsidies for new EV purchases. For example, a customer who buys the i-MiEV EV launched by Mitsubishi Motors Corp will receive subsidies of up to 1.14 million yen. There are also local governments which provide their own subsidies for the purchases.
Q: What kinds of technological development are expected to take place in the EV market in the future?
A: EVs are expected to make more contributions to preventing global warming when their power is generated by renewable energy such as solar and wind power. There is also an idea of using EVs as backup power in times of disaster such as an earthquake. Automakers are likely to cooperate with companies in other industries such as power suppliers and electronics retail stores in such areas as technological development and sales.
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