So, Japan is getting bashed for not switching to EV but they get zero love for their over abundant eco friendly cars.
You can basically tell how many CCs a car in Japan by looking the license plate.
yellow = 660cc and lower
5 number = up to 2.1l, think it was.
8 number = custom tax evasion but basically a car used for commercial use and has been modified as such,
3 number = 2.2l and higher
These numbers are the top of the plate next to the issuing prefecture / region.
On the main island, I would say 70% of cars are in the 1.0l to 1.5l category. Most people don't want the higher tax bracket and horrible gas mileage a 3l engine will give you.
Gas ain't cheap in Japan. I paid recently 350 yen per liter. Skip the exchange rate and just think in 100 yen = $1. so that's $3.50 per liter.
Next up is that you are paying for a massive inspection every 2 years at about $2000 a hit and you also pay taxes based on your size of the engine. I had a Jeep Cherokee which I converted to an 8 number and reduced by bi-yearly by 40%.
Now, let's talk about parking. You can't buy a car without having a registered parking space. Many apartment buildings just don't have the space.
Public transport rocks! I mean seriously! The bus in winter might be 10 minutes off schedule but that's understandable. If you live in the burbs you walk 5-10 minutes max to a bus stop and you are at work without much issue. I lived in 1 place that was 30 seconds to the subway entrance and just 1 might walk to work outside. The suburbs ... bus/train is your friend.
OH! And you get screwed getting a drivers license. That's about $3000 for that privilege. People who don't drive are called paper drivers.
So, we add all this up and and realistically, renting a car to go on a trip is for a larger family of 4. Sometimes, it's just cheaper to take the train.
The typical car size is the Honda Fit. Those Kei trucks are a thing because they are cheap and do the job.
And, let's top this off with speeds. Most high ways are like 60kmh. Where I lived you were allowed 100kmh. City speeds are like 35kmh.
Having a GTR Skline or NSX in Japan is like driving one in NYC. You will wear out 1st gear since anything faster and you're speeding.
I did see charging stations at malls. Very very rare. I have seen way more propane fill stations than electric. More than all the EV stations I have seen in the US even. I think all Taxis in Japan now run on LPG. Those cars last forever!
I have no clue how the Japanese would incorporate a charging system in Japan ... Yes, they are very dependent on electricity and run their trains on that. I even saw buses switching to EV. But if your parking space is a few inches around your car that is even if you have a parking space in front of your house. I just don't see it happening. This is why I think Toyota was sticking to hybrids.
The last place I lived was car centric but even then most people still took public transport because their jobs pay for commuting to and from home. Driving a car would mean you loose money. So they don't drive if public transport is an option. Plus you have to pay for parking if you drive into work. I had to pay a lot for my last job in parking fees.
So, why does Japan need electric?
Consider this too, you need a 6 page manual to sort your home garbage. I mean do you know what bag the q-tips go in? Do you peal off that plastic wrapper on your sports drink after you have washed it and squashed it down? The garbage police Karens and Bobs are the absolute worst! They watch you like a hawk!
So even with their hyper re-cycling attitude. The Japanese people don't want EV cars because how troublesome they are and the advantage of them over their highly efficient 1.0l toy cars isn't that much. Plus, their electric bills will go up and I'm sure they will not want to deal with inspections.
I don't think it's sabotaging at all in Japan. It's just practical.
Should Americans follow Japan and get more people to drive a Honda Fit or Fiat 500 or the Smart car? These do great! Awesome gas mileage and do what you need them to do. Maybe one day they can replace F-150 that's so popular with a Honda Acty or Subaru Samba.
You can basically tell how many CCs a car in Japan by looking the license plate.
yellow = 660cc and lower
5 number = up to 2.1l, think it was.
8 number = custom tax evasion but basically a car used for commercial use and has been modified as such,
3 number = 2.2l and higher
These numbers are the top of the plate next to the issuing prefecture / region.
On the main island, I would say 70% of cars are in the 1.0l to 1.5l category. Most people don't want the higher tax bracket and horrible gas mileage a 3l engine will give you.
Gas ain't cheap in Japan. I paid recently 350 yen per liter. Skip the exchange rate and just think in 100 yen = $1. so that's $3.50 per liter.
Next up is that you are paying for a massive inspection every 2 years at about $2000 a hit and you also pay taxes based on your size of the engine. I had a Jeep Cherokee which I converted to an 8 number and reduced by bi-yearly by 40%.
Now, let's talk about parking. You can't buy a car without having a registered parking space. Many apartment buildings just don't have the space.
Public transport rocks! I mean seriously! The bus in winter might be 10 minutes off schedule but that's understandable. If you live in the burbs you walk 5-10 minutes max to a bus stop and you are at work without much issue. I lived in 1 place that was 30 seconds to the subway entrance and just 1 might walk to work outside. The suburbs ... bus/train is your friend.
OH! And you get screwed getting a drivers license. That's about $3000 for that privilege. People who don't drive are called paper drivers.
So, we add all this up and and realistically, renting a car to go on a trip is for a larger family of 4. Sometimes, it's just cheaper to take the train.
The typical car size is the Honda Fit. Those Kei trucks are a thing because they are cheap and do the job.
And, let's top this off with speeds. Most high ways are like 60kmh. Where I lived you were allowed 100kmh. City speeds are like 35kmh.
Having a GTR Skline or NSX in Japan is like driving one in NYC. You will wear out 1st gear since anything faster and you're speeding.
I did see charging stations at malls. Very very rare. I have seen way more propane fill stations than electric. More than all the EV stations I have seen in the US even. I think all Taxis in Japan now run on LPG. Those cars last forever!
I have no clue how the Japanese would incorporate a charging system in Japan ... Yes, they are very dependent on electricity and run their trains on that. I even saw buses switching to EV. But if your parking space is a few inches around your car that is even if you have a parking space in front of your house. I just don't see it happening. This is why I think Toyota was sticking to hybrids.
The last place I lived was car centric but even then most people still took public transport because their jobs pay for commuting to and from home. Driving a car would mean you loose money. So they don't drive if public transport is an option. Plus you have to pay for parking if you drive into work. I had to pay a lot for my last job in parking fees.
So, why does Japan need electric?
Consider this too, you need a 6 page manual to sort your home garbage. I mean do you know what bag the q-tips go in? Do you peal off that plastic wrapper on your sports drink after you have washed it and squashed it down? The garbage police Karens and Bobs are the absolute worst! They watch you like a hawk!
So even with their hyper re-cycling attitude. The Japanese people don't want EV cars because how troublesome they are and the advantage of them over their highly efficient 1.0l toy cars isn't that much. Plus, their electric bills will go up and I'm sure they will not want to deal with inspections.
I don't think it's sabotaging at all in Japan. It's just practical.
Should Americans follow Japan and get more people to drive a Honda Fit or Fiat 500 or the Smart car? These do great! Awesome gas mileage and do what you need them to do. Maybe one day they can replace F-150 that's so popular with a Honda Acty or Subaru Samba.
