Goodbye, Prius? Japanese carmakers drop battery electric-car development
Washington Times -- Feb 05
Japan is backtracking on battery electric-car development, as even Nissan's vice chairman, the so-called "father of the Prius," announced plans to copy Toyota and pursue fuel-cell cars that convert hydrogen to electricity.
"Because of its shortcomings - driving range, cost and recharging time - the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars," said Nissan's vice chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, in a Reuters report. "We need something entirely new."
Toyota Motor Co. - the world's largest hybrid manufacturer, Reuters reports - recently announced a plan to drop pure electric-car development, also.
Source: Washington Times
| May 25 | Nagoya Castle structures restored |
 At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 years. (NHK  ) |
| May 24 | Tokyo cops bust casino in Shibuya |
 Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday raided an Internet casino in Shibuya Ward for offering illegal gambling. (Tokyo Reporter ) |
| May 24 | WWII vet gets 'Order of the Rising Sun' from Japan's ambassador |
 The government of Japan has bestowed one of that nation's highest honors on a Japanese-American, a former U.S. Soldier and World War II veteran, for his work furthering relationships between the Japanese and Americans. (army.mil ) |
| May 23 | Osaka court accepts losing horse racing bets as expenses |
 Osaka District Court accepted a claim on Thursday that losses on betting on horse racing should be deductible from payouts to calculate taxable income. (Jiji Press ) |
| May 23 | Japanese becomes oldest person to conquer Everest |
 Eighty-year-old Yuichiro Miura has become the oldest person to scale Mount Everest, his management office said Thursday. (Japan Times ) |
| May 23 | Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat |
 An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly hit a 16-year-old girl in the head with a baseball bat. (Japan Today ) |
| May 22 | X Japan waxes lyrical at Madame Tussauds debut |
 This Monday, members of the seminal metal band X Japan were in Odaiba rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and AKB48′s Yuko Oshima. The catch? They were all made out of wax. (Japan Times ) |
| May 22 | Transport ministry to unify rules for baby strollers on buses, trains |
 The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. (Japan Today ) |
| May 21 | Man stabs ex-wife, then crashes car during getaway |
 A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. (Japan Today ) |
| May 21 | Japan Crown Prince to visit Spain |
 Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito will visit Spain for seven days from June 10, the government said Tuesday. (Jiji Press ) |
