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With concerns about climate change and the importance of conserving resources, manufacturers and consumers are turning to environment-friendly alternatives in almost all aspects of daily life: shopping, cooking, and even transportation. Manufacturers of cars from Japan are continually developing the technology that would make vehicles stop depending on gas and run only on electricity, or battery power. Some electric auto models have already been marketed throughout the world; here are the most highly-regarded models. Mitsubishi i-MiEV The Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle is America’s most affordable electric vehicle to date. Looking very Japanese because of its kei microcar features, the i-MiEV has endeared itself to many environmentally-conscious drivers everywhere. You would wonder where all the electronic hardware would be placed in such a small car with all its seats intact. The answer? Under the floor! Packing the electric motor underneath the flooring seems to be one of the many talents of Japanese automotive engineers. This electro-microcar can come up with 66 hp and go only up to 62 miles (it only has a 16-kWh lithium ion battery pack, anyway), but hey, it’s adorable and very affordable at around US $29,000. Nissan Leaf The Leaf is regarded to be one of the best electric cars from Japan for the midrange class. Nissan’s quirky-looking vehicle is the first electric model to be sold to the general market, with a base price of about US $35,000. The Leaf features a 110-horsepower electric output and 24-kWh lithium-ion battery. The Leaf can be recharged through its nose; the battery can be recharged in four hours using an optional 240-V charger. It has a top speed of 90mph—you won’t be driving this onto the racetrack anyway—and can cruise along quite well on 65 mph-limited roads. As for mile range, this powerful electric can take you 79 miles on a single charge—pretty hard to beat in its class, and definitely more than enough for city driving. Honda Fit EV One of the most efficient subcompact cars from Japan now comes in an EV version! The Fit (Jazz in other markets) EV has a 123-horsepower electric motor, the same as the one first given to the Honda FCX Clarity (the brand’s hydrogen fuel cell car). This little EV has a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and can go up to an astounding 82 miles before having to be recharged. Charging time is a quick three hours using a Level 2 charger. The mass market would still have to wait until the company produces more units of the Fit EV; there are currently only 1,100 units for lease in select US markets such as San Francisco and Portland. Lease price is around US $36,625. Whoever has one sure is lucky! Toyota RAV4 EV The RAV4 EV has currently no competitors in its class, so if an SUV suits your needs but you would rather not pay for gas, this model is perfect for you. It shares its electric hardware with the luxury EV Tesla Model S, a 154-hp electric motor with a 41.8-kWH lithium-ion battery pack. If you want one, you’ll have to line up—there are only 2600 units of these that will be built, and each would cost around US $50,000.. Of course, you can also wait until other manufacturers of cars from Japan come up with their own electric SUV! For now, it’s a good idea to settle for a Leaf.
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