Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - (Page 18) 18 • SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 Toyota, Subaru enter race to market electric vehicles Hans Greimel hgreimel@crain.com TOKYO — Two new challengers from Japan have joined the race for electric vehicles. Subaru says it will start fleet sales of a four-seat electric car next year, and Toyota Motor Corp. for the first time has confirmed plans for a batterypowered offering in the early 2010s. Both companies are stepping up the zero-emissions mantra as Japanese rivals Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. push ahead on what many see as the future of automobiles. Nissan plans U.S. fleet sales of an electric vehicle in 2010. Mitsubishi is eyeing a 2010 launch of its electric iMiEV in Japan, followed by Europe and the United States. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe announced the company’s electric-vehicle plans last month at Toyota’s annual business strategy meeting. Details were sparse, but r&d chief Masatami Takimoto said the car’s range would be limited by the performance of today’s batteries. “For the time being, the most realistic approach is to use pure electric vehicles for short-distance travel,” Takimoto said. “So in the early stage of the 2010s, we would like to offer a compact, very small electric vehicle The Stella electric concept has a range of 50 miles and can recharge overnight from a household outlet. Subaru plans to begin leasing it next year in Japan. on a small-scale basis.” Toyota has been testing its ultracompact E-com since 1999. But the bubble-shaped runabout seats only two, a load deemed impractical by most electric vehicle contenders. The offerings of Nissan and Mitsubishi each will seat at least four. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., parent of Subaru, is basing next year’s electric vehicle on the Stella, a minivehicle sold in Japan with a 660cc engine. It will also seat four and run on lithium ion batteries. Fuji Heavy will source its lithium ion batteries from Automotive Ener- gy Supply Corp., a joint venture set up last year by Nissan, electronics giant NEC Corp. and NEC Tokin Corp. The plug-in Stella Concept can cover 50 miles on a single charge, and its battery can be fully recharged in eight hours through a household socket. “For city commuting, this is enough,” Fuji Heavy spokesman Shinichi Murata says. “This is the best we can do with today’s technology at a reasonable cost.” Fuji Heavy is targeting fleet sales of up to 200 units during the car’s first year. Stella leasing will begin in Japan, but the company has no immediate plans to bring it overseas.c “When it comes to our insurance issues, we have our Federated Marketing Representative in our corner and that’s where we’re going to keep him. He always has something of value for us, another way to look at things, another idea on how we can save time, money, and the headaches that come with uncertainty.” Shannon Inukai Dick’s MacKenzie Ford Hillsboro, Oregon For now, Honda will skip electric vehicles Hans Greimel hgreimel@crain.com TOKYO — One name is conspicuously absent from the electric vehicle hoopla: Honda. And r&d chief Masaaki Kato says that is for good reason. Honda Motor Co. has no plans to produce electric vehicles. The battery technology is not ready, he says. “Nowadays, the most advanced batteries are lithium ion batteries. But even though the size is getting smaller, the density of the energy is still too poor for cars,” Kato said. For the foreseeable future, electric cars will be limited to short-distance city runabouts. By 2015, they will ac- Honda r&d chief Masaaki Kato says the lithium ion battery technology is not ready. count for less than 1 percent of the market in developed countries, Kato said. “For personal use, an EV is fine for about 80 percent of your driving, but not for the remaining 20 percent,” Kato said here last month. “So you still need another car to cover all your needs. “To get the performance of an Accord, in terms of driving range, from today’s battery-only drivetrain, we would need to carry 2 tons of batteries. That’s no good.” Honda’s wariness of electric vehicles contrasts with the optimism of its Japanese competitors. Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Subaru are planning electric vehicles in the next five years. Those cars will feature lithium ion batteries and have full-charge ranges of around 60 miles. Today’s lithium ion batteries are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrid vehicles. But Honda thinks the batteries are still not powerful enough to warrant their higher price or make a viable vehicle for allaround driving. c The FEDERATED Insurance Companies Home Office: 121 East Park Square, Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 (507) 455-5200 • www.federatedinsurance.com http://www.federatedinsurance.com http://www.federatedinsurance.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - September 8, 2008 Chrysler Financial hikes dealer floorplan fees Back in business? Detroit's best bets for cash: Feds, UAW Document fee suits swamp Missouri dealers Honda's family squabble Used truck prices rebound Ford mulls Lincoln compact Toyota delays RAV4 plan Proposed flex-fuel mandate roils industry Chrysler sues consultant over sourcing Cobalt transaction prices are up $775 since April Nissan looks to Mexico for engineering aid To retain truck buyers, Nissan offers more stuff Press: Chrysler is pushing forward on electric cars Leasing falls to 4-year low GM: Currency shift stalled Astra Dealers say they can sell the Republican ticket Industry loans clash with GOP climate Grand Cherokee will get axles from new plant Makers must resist urge to backslide as gas price dips Times are tough outside the U.S., too Chevrolet does tout its small cars Let natural gas power the fuel cell A crash course in collaboration Dodge wouldn't rush the RamBox Plastics are losing cost advantage Suppliers expect to benefit from tougher CO2 rules 'People just want Ford to go' For now, Honda will skip electric vehicles Toyota, Subaru enter race to market electric vehicles China exports squeezed Study: 15% of wrecked autos got washed titles Mercedes megadealer is bullish on luxury Sheehy: 'We are not in business for nostalgia' Automakers use driving schools as marketing tools Dodge smoothes Ram's rough edges â a little Honda touts leasing while others fall back Alysha Webb Study: Nonprime car loans get longer Dealer CPA group picks leader BMW, Edmunds team up on loan site for consumers Va. Honda dealership loses protest bid Judge throws out deceptive-ads lawsuit against Toyota in Arkansas Mo. dealership's protest gets go-ahead Pa. court throws out suit against Ford, dealership Dealers Ross' interiors company pushes into China, India More than a game Nissan's Tavares: Green conference keynoter Quality group seeks to set consulting standards Personnel Dana to shift HQ by Sept. '09 Tenneco to supply Volvo XC60 BMW gets Siemens conveyors IAC to cut 280 jobs in Sweden Polytec to acquire Peguform Metaldyne to sell Italy operation Federal-Mogul to build India plant Beck, Delphi make pact TRW to supply Chinese sedan Auto profits rise in Russia Black Book expands data Hayes Lemmerz cuts losses Ford: Buyouts are a tough sell GM's party plans include production Volt An ice-cold August for auto sales Big drop in Aug. output Lights, camera . . . Volt? In case the roads get too quiet . . . The Insight rides again Lagonda brand will be back Milwaukee road trip: No old pals, but 1 new lesson Choice of Odell seen as Ford vote of confidence in Volvo Dana sort of wins an award Automotive News - September 8, 2008 Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - (Page Introducti) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Detroit's best bets for cash: Feds, UAW (Page 1) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Detroit's best bets for cash: Feds, UAW (Page 2) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Toyota delays RAV4 plan (Page 3) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Cobalt transaction prices are up $775 since April (Page 4) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Cobalt transaction prices are up $775 since April (Page 5) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - GM: Currency shift stalled Astra (Page 6) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - GM: Currency shift stalled Astra (Page 7) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Grand Cherokee will get axles from new plant (Page 8) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Grand Cherokee will get axles from new plant (Page 9) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Grand Cherokee will get axles from new plant (Page 10) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Grand Cherokee will get axles from new plant (Page 11) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Let natural gas power the fuel cell (Page 12) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Let natural gas power the fuel cell (Page 13) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Plastics are losing cost advantage (Page 14) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Plastics are losing cost advantage (Page 15) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Suppliers expect to benefit from tougher CO2 rules (Page 16) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - 'People just want Ford to go' (Page 16A) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Toyota, Subaru enter race to market electric vehicles (Page 16B) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Toyota, Subaru enter race to market electric vehicles (Page 16C) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Toyota, Subaru enter race to market electric vehicles (Page 16D) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - For now, Honda will skip electric vehicles (Page 17) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - For now, Honda will skip electric vehicles (Page 18) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - For now, Honda will skip electric vehicles (Page 19) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Study: 15% of wrecked autos got washed titles (Page 20) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Study: 15% of wrecked autos got washed titles (Page 21) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Mercedes megadealer is bullish on luxury (Page 22) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Mercedes megadealer is bullish on luxury (Page 23) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Sheehy: 'We are not in business for nostalgia' (Page 24) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Sheehy: 'We are not in business for nostalgia' (Page 25) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Sheehy: 'We are not in business for nostalgia' (Page 26) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Sheehy: 'We are not in business for nostalgia' (Page 27) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Automakers use driving schools as marketing tools (Page 28) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Dodge smoothes Ram's rough edges â a little (Page 29) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - BMW, Edmunds team up on loan site for consumers (Page 30) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - BMW, Edmunds team up on loan site for consumers (Page 31) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Judge throws out deceptive-ads lawsuit against Toyota in Arkansas (Page 32) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Pa. court throws out suit against Ford, dealership (Page 33) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Dealers (Page 34) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - More than a game (Page 35) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Personnel (Page 36) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - TRW to supply Chinese sedan (Page 37) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - TRW to supply Chinese sedan (Page 38) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 39) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 40) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 41) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 42) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 43) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Auto profits rise in Russia (Page 44) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - GM's party plans include production Volt (Page 45) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - GM's party plans include production Volt (Page 46) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - An ice-cold August for auto sales (Page 47) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - An ice-cold August for auto sales (Page 48) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Big drop in Aug. output (Page 49) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Dana sort of wins an award (Page 50) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Dana sort of wins an award (Page 51) Automotive News - September 8, 2008 - Dana sort of wins an award (Page 52)
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