For Shiho Takezawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Logistics companies in Japan are finding an unlikely white knight in Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers, whose vans make last-mile deliveries not only cheaper, but cleaner as well.
With Japan’s pledge to go carbon neutral by 2050, some developers hope housing developments like this become the norm.
Japanese automakers have struggled due to outbreaks of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, as well as parts and semiconductor shortages.
As many as 300,000 jobs may disappear in the nation if the automotive sector makes a full shift to electric vehicles — equal to about 10% of all current jobs in the industry.
Long lauded for its successful just-in-time supply chain, the world’s No. 1 automaker was hit hard by pandemic-related delays.
The firm said it will introduce 10 electric vehicles under its "e:N Series” range within five years.
Japanese startup 3DOM is developing new battery separator technology that helps overcome the physical limitations of current lithium-based batteries.
The government has earmarked about ¥6 billion ($55 million) for developing autonomous-driving services this fiscal year.
"Automakers will definitely recover in the latter half” of the fiscal year, Jatco's CEO said in an interview.
With EV penetration only at around 1%, the country has hundreds of aging charging poles that aren’t being used, while others are being taken out of service altogether.
