Japan, which has high potential in the hybrid car markets, is gradually betting on electric cars. At the moment, it remains behind China and the US.
The sales of electric vehicles are increasing strongly in China, Europe and the United States, but the trend is much weaker in Japanwhich is a stronghold of hybrid cars, where the conversion to the electrical system is advancing slowly.
In 2022, about 59,000 new electric vehicles were sold in the countrytriple that of the previous year, but a figure that represents only 1.7% of the national market.
By comparison, this figure reached 20% in China, about 15% in Western Europe and 5.3% in the United States, according to a study by the consultancy PwC.
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This delay from Japan may seem surprising given the importance of its automotive industrywhich became a pioneer of electric cars in 2009 and 2010.
But, few models were sold electrical “due to the battery costs at the time and that the prices were high,” said Kenichiro Wada, former head of development for Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV model, who is now an industry consultant.
Electric vehicles in Japan
For a long time, cars of this style had Difficulties entering the Japanese market for several reasons: they were expensive, they were perceived as not very adapted to an archipelago that lacks renewable energy and impractical, and their use implied the creation of an expensive charging network.
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In addition, Japan initially opted for hydrogen vehicles, but currently this segment is developing less strongly than electric.
Source: Ambito
