Anonymous wrote:A quick look at Google reveals that 0.8% of vehicles in Japan are EVs. Further, it appears the reason is that Japan does not want to be dependent upon China for the raw materials needed to build them. Their supply is legislated, and is not a product developing through economic supply and demand forces.


In Norway, 80% of new car sales are EVs, which is not the same as the total number of vehicles on the roads at present. Norway heavily subsidizes purchases, and provides incentives like 1/2 price tolls and subsidized/free parking for them.

Yes it is true about suppliers for Japanese cars. The problem is the Chinese are beating Japanese and all other car manufacturers in China. This is a major market and profit center for Japanese, Korean, European and American manufacturers. Ford gets 1/2 its sales in Asia.

Toyota and other Japanese manufacturers are now going full in with suppliers involvement. Though the Chinese are very far ahead. Many do not think the Japanese can catch up. The US market is even farther behind. Even with the hybrids. The Chinese hybrid are verse of US hybrids. So they have a 3 row SUV with a very big battery and a small gas engine. The battery has a range of 320 miles. So daily drive is done mostly on battery. The total range with a full battery and full tank of gas is 900 miles. Most of the Chinese EVs come standard with lidar. It is scary how far ahead of us they are.

I was just there saw tons

Japanese here. Please note that people don't drive as much in Japan as in the US. People have flocked into the cities to work for generations, and it's difficult to own a car in a large city - space is so incredibly limited for 99.9% of the population. Public transport is safe, clean and reliable. Perhaps this contributes to the car market not being as fluid as in the US.

A quick look at Google reveals that 0.8% of vehicles in Japan are EVs. Further, it appears the reason is that Japan does not want to be dependent upon China for the raw materials needed to build them. Their supply is legislated, and is not a product developing through economic supply and demand forces.


In Norway, 80% of new car sales are EVs, which is not the same as the total number of vehicles on the roads at present. Norway heavily subsidizes purchases, and provides incentives like 1/2 price tolls and subsidized/free parking for them.

The postal vehicles were EVs

I'm also in Japan - weird. I'm not seeing any that I easily recognize.

I'm in Japan too in those same places. Are you my spouse? I'm seeing EVs everywhere!

I’m in Japan at the moment and I was surprised that I have yet to see any EV’s in the Tokyo or Sapporo areas. No charging either stations. It’s probably going to be a long time before Japanese car makers ever get serious about them.