Eight Hokkaido firms are taking a fresh approach to the region's notoriously cold weather with the development of an electric vehicle tailored for tough road conditions.
"Our company may be small, but we want to produce things that suit the demand of the locals," said Hideki Nemoto, president of Will-E Co., one of the firms.
Its partners include the state-backed Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation and seven other small- or medium-size firms based in Hokkaido.