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Electric vehicles on display in Japan
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Japan's electric vehicle industry has just finished showing off its latest in green technology at the "first EV & HEV Drive System Technology Expo" in Tokyo.
The expo has attracted more than 160,000 visitors, with state-of-art models of electric cars.
The aerodynamic "EV Mini Sport" has a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour and is able to run for 90 minutes on a single charge.
Equipped with a lithium polymer battery, the car can be recharged either by plugging it into a 100 volt socket at home, or with wind and solar energy.
With a price tag of around 23,000 US dollars, the car is designed to maximize efficiency with a minimum ecological footprint.
Nobuhiro Tajima, CEO of Tajima Motor Corporation,said, "Our basic philosophy in designing this car is to use only natural energy. By making the car lighter, it requires less electricity to run. To further reduce consumption we designed it like a race car in order to reduce air resistance."
Also on display are vehicles that are already being put into use, including an all-electric bus being used in Toyama.
Completely powered by batteries and producing only 36 per cent of the CO2 emissions of a diesel bus, the electric bus will start running real routes during a month-long test period in February.
As major car makers unveiled electric vehicles, battery-charging producers were also showcasing their latest technology. The"rapid charger", designed by Hasetec, takes 30 minutes to fully charge an electric vehicle for a 120 km journey.
With oil prices expected to rise in the future, nearly all major auto-makers have announced cleaner energy plans, hoping it will electrify parts of their industry and sales.
