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Electric vehicles top bill at Tokyo Motor Show

Electric vehicles once again took centre stage at the Tokyo Motor Show with Japanese carmakers unveiling their latest concepts.

Honda led the way with its ‘environmentally responsible approaches to mobility’, including the hydrogen fuel cell powered FCX CLARITY, the EV-N battery electric vehicle, an electric motorcycle and the much talked about U3-X, a one-wheel personal mobility device.

Suzuki also showcased a motorcycle – the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter – which it has developed with UK fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy. The zero-emission fuel cell powered motorcycle will now be demonstrated in the UK.

Toyota meanwhile debuted its FT-EV II, a compact four-seater electric vehicle designed for short distances. The vehicle can reach a top speed of 100 km/h and has a range of over 90 km when the battery is fully charged.

The company’s plug-in hybrid Prius concept was also on show, which drivers will be able to recharge from a regular household power outlet.

The vehicle will have a 20 km range for the battery alone and an overall fuel efficiency of 55 km/l or better, with emissions of 42 g/km.

As manufacturers gear themselves up to an electric future, they are likely to be cheered by a survey from the University of Michigan indicating that consumers are ready and willing to buy plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

But it should come as no surprise that the survey also found that those numbers decline as the premium for purchasing such a vehicle increases.

“If PHEVs are priced so that consumers can recoup their initial investments over a reasonable time period, consumers would find ample economic justification for their purchase,” says economist Richard Curtin.

For further information:
world.honda.com/
www.suzuki.co.jp
www.intelligent-energy.com
www2.toyota.co.jp/en/
www.umich.ed/~umsurvey

23 October 2009

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