Japan races to build zero emissions electric car

I thought all the car companies where trying to do that already.

Or at least the Japanese ones.

This is great!

~ MC

It will never come out in the US. I've read and seen all the latest engineering innovations, but I never see these things come out. The reasoning is various legal restrictions apparently setup to prevent the car companies from making themselves obsolete. The companies argument is that this keeps people working, however its likely to make profits. So you have to either release the car that runs on air/water and think that most companies will never sell a car again, or just accept that hybrids will be the new standard. Its mind boggling.

Seriously the way we do things is sooo f'ed up its better not to think of it too much..

It'll be a beautiful day when everyone is driving around in hybrid and/or electric cars.

But, RaceBannon touches on a real subject. Some of these technologies have been suppressed to further line the pockets of various companies (oil, etc.).

Thinking of it too much is exactly what the world needs. The more we stand still and let the history of mankind be led down an unsustainable path, the worse off we'll all be.

I high doubt the release of an electric car would make car companies obsolete due to the fact that they will continue to improve the technology and design will constantly evolve as with petrol based vehicles. However, who this would undoubtedly prove problematic for are the oil companies who have a vice on the wallets of just about everyone whether you own a car or not [consider rising cost of foods due to shipment and rising cost of petrol]. I would not be surprised if big oil fought the release of such vehicles 'tooth and nail' as they say.

I'm going to start to save up to buy that.

We usually hear that the big "limitation" of electric cars is driving distance.

Most electric cars get 100 miles per charge (or better!)

So the theory is that 50 percent of American drivers who routinely (keyword) drive less than 100 miles a day would NEVER (Heaven forbid) buy shuch a vehicle because the range is too "limited."

It's not an either/or scenario.

Make the damn car and those of us driving less than 100 miles a day (waaaay less in many cases) will buy them and that small, small, SMALL segment of the population that regularly drives 200 miles plus a day can just go ahead and buy regular gas powered cars. We need to get real and stop pretending that 90 percent of drivers in America are pouring on 300 miles plus per day! It's simply not true.

But then again if Ford and GM say it's true...maybe it is? It's not like these geniuses have ever been really REALLY wrong about drivers, driving and consumer habits in the last 30 years....have they?

College students, retirees, people that live close to work, people who want a 2nd car for brief errands....all of those people who would buy a low range (is 100 miles per charge really "low" range?) electric vehicle are denied the possibility on the theory that they "wouldn't buy it if we made it."

The only thing I don't buy is their excuses for why they refuse to join the 21st century and give up on building Hummers.

Japan is always ahead of the curve when it comes to technology... If you want to see the future, then go to Japan.

so basically its nothing new. the Japanese have advanced clean technology and the Americans say they will get to it in a few years :D

How are we supposed to erase the image of electrics being "Golf Carts" if virtually every image posted of one looks like the one above? Golf Cart!
Follow the example of the Tesla and make it like an actual CAR. Not some tiny, pathetic fucking subvehicle seemingly designed to punish the driver.

Good point Dmitri...

Although a smaller car can come in handy.

Say, for example, your at the mall and you see an open parking space....but the two massive SUV's on either side are both over the yellow lines (because they are so massive they have no choice) significantly reducing the size of the parking space.

In that situation only a smaller car could park between the giants. Another SUV simply wouldn't fit.

Just wanted to say that 3 mil yen is not $46,000, more like $31,500.

Tell us about the damn Subaru in the picture! Its sexy like my 88 Justy 4x4 was. Subi's kick ass and they were the only car company to pull a profit in 2008!

where do you wind it up >_<

Is it funny that Japan is trying to build a zero-emissions electrical car while America is limiting electrical car technology while moving AWAY from enviromentally-friendly vehicles?

America: Where corporate capitalism beats enviormental issues, heath care issues, human rights issues, etc.

There is NO such thing as a zero emissions car. The very manufacture of the car will create emissions. The power it uses will create emissions, even if those are 100km away at a coal or natural gas burning power plant.

Finally, if you trade your car in on one of these, in all likelihood your old car will be back out on the road with another driver behind the wheel.

My opinion? Use your current car wisely, make it last a long, long time. Drive a little less, walk a little more and take public transport whenever it's available.

America makes too much money from oil. I don't think car company's will allow these innovations to be released as long as they can overcharge everyone with oil prices and make the maximum amount of money that they can. They don't car about the environment they only care about $.

French engineers have already invented a safe emission free car that should be the on the market for everyone. It runs completely on compressed air, is safe, cheap, and has excellent driving distance. When I first read about this I was amazed and I don't know why more people don't know about this. Spread the word, the only way we can change the world is through awareness.

check out french air car on YouTube. it will blow your mind

i hope its affordable..

Thats pretty cool, but don't you think we should have done this years ago? I bet they were just thinking of the money but now since global warming is happening now they are changing their minds.

Those little car look cool. I would get one if they were affordable for the common person. And if, they can be safe against an suv, and as well if they didn't leave any wast. Those batter are going to be a big wast after they won't work any more.