JFE Engineering Corp disclosed the concept of the “super-rapid charging system,” which is being developed by the company, June 16, 2010, at Smart Grid Exhibition 2010 in Tokyo.
The system can charge the battery of a normal electric passenger vehicle to 50% capacity in three minutes and to 70% capacity in five minutes, which are much faster than the charging speeds of the existing charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs). Therefore, the new system is expected to enhance the convenience of EVs.
Rapid charging systems that have already been commercialized by some …

Toyota on Monday began recalling more than 90,000 luxury Lexus and Crown vehicles in Japan as part of a global recall over defective engines — the latest setback for the automaker beset with quality problems.

On Friday, Toyota Motor Corp. said it would recall a total of 270,000 Lexus and Crown vehicles worldwide to fix flaws in the valve springs, a crucial engine component, that could make the automobile stall while in motion.

A disgruntled worker slammed his car into employees at a Mazda factory on Tuesday, killing one and injuring 10, stunning Japan just two years after an autoworker went on a deadly rampage in central Tokyo.

The suspect in Tuesday’s incident, Toshiaki Hikiji, 42, was arrested on attempted murder charges after fleeing in his car from Mazda’s Ujina plant in southwestern Japan, the police said.

Suzuki Motor plans to boost its production capacity for passenger cars in India to 1.45 million vehicles a year in 2012, topping its output in Japan for the first time, a report said Wednesday.

Suzuki’s local unit, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., will invest 2 – 4 billion yen (21 – 43 million dollars) this year to upgrade its two existing factories, increasing its capacity to 1.2 million units from about 1 million at present, the business daily Nikkei reported, citing company president Shinzo Nakanishi.

The customized Mira EV travelled at speeds of around 40kph as it drove non-stop around a car racing course in Shimotsuma in Ibaraki Prefecture.
The red and white vehicle, fitted with a special lithium ion battery created by the Japanese company Sanyo, ran for 27.5 hours covering a distance of 1,003km without being recharged.
A total of 17 different people took turns at the wheel of the electric car as it circled repeatedly around the racecourse during the experiment.
Read the rest of the story: Electric car travels record 1,000km on single …

The Teijin Group unveiled on March 30 a super-lightweight electric concept car made with proprietary materials and technologies including carbon fiber composites, polycarbonate resins and bio-derived polyester. Weighing only 437 kg, less than half that of conventional electric vehicles, the PU_PA EV (as in “pupa electric vehicle,” a reference to metamorphosis) embodies Teijin’s vision of what a vehicle will look like on the market in five to ten years.
The vehicle is being exhibited in the Teijin Mirai Studio, a showroom located in the same building as Teijin’s headquarters in Tokyo …

Tokyo’s first electric-powered taxis hit the streets on Thursday Two ‘Zero-taku’ (Zero-taxis), so called because the electric cars produce no carbon emissions, began picking up fares at JR Tokyo Station’s Marunouchi South exit after an inauguration ceremony. ‘If fully charged, we can drive to Yokohama, operator Hinomaru Limousine Co. boasted. The company’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp. i-MiEV electric cars can travel 160 kilometers on a fully charged battery. Fares start at 710 yen ($7.80) for the first 2 kilometers, similar to most taxis.

Mazda Motor Corp. may be the next carmaker to strike an alliance following plans by Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to team up with overseas manufacturers, investors and analysts say.

The companies are seeking to share costs for developing new models with the latest technology. Mazda may need to do the same as its 40-year-old ties to Ford Motor Co. weaken.