Video #18 - Japan: Electric Cars
Tuesday, January 10, 2006BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Electric cars have a longer history than most people suspect. In fact, Electric vehicles existed before the internal combustion engine was developed. The first production electric car created a sensation when it was exhibited in Chicago in 1892. Electric vehicles set many speed and distance records in the early 1900's. The second decade of the twentieth century was the electric car's heyday, with six thousand EVs (electric vehicles) produced by twenty different companies. Reportedly, women of this era preferred EVs because they started easily and were "clean and quiet." However, the inventions of the electric ignition and the radiator turned the tide against electric cars.
The Oil Embargo of 1973 led to a renewed interest in electric vehicles as governments around the world wanted to reduce dependence on OPEC oil. Additionally, concern for the environment led to calls for cleaner modes of transportation. By 1977, Japan had 13,000 EVs in operation, Great Britain had 70,000 and the United States had 3,000. However, as gasoline prices decreased, so did interest in further development of EVs.
Electric automobiles use batteries to power their motors. Drawbacks for these vehicles are the limited range of their power source, cost and maintenance. For example, when the Toyota RAV4-EV became available in California in 2002, it sold with a five year or 60,000 mile warranty. However, a replacement electric battery system would cost $30,000 if needed after the warranty expired. Additionally, the cost of the vehicle was $42,000 before a state of California $9,000 incentive rebate and a $3,000 tax credit.
(However, while these drawbacks made conventional EVs virtually extinct in the U.S., Lucy Craft's video report shows that they still have their supporters in Japan).
In an effort to circumvent the problems with conventional EVs, automakers are working on the development of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. In the meantime, they have developed gas-electric hybrid vehicles (HEV's). Hybrid cars have better mileage than ordinary gasoline-powered cars because they use the electric motor at slow speeds and the gasoline engine when it needs to travel faster or uphill. The car recharges itself during the drive.
Environmentally, hybrids emit only half the carbon dioxide of gasoline engines. Toyota was the first automaker in the world to mass-produce and sell hybrid cars, introducing the Prius in 1997. The model has sold 130,000 cars a year worldwide, including two other models that are only sold in Japan. In early January, 2004, Toyota's Prius sedan was voted North American Car of the Year.
. So far, Toyota and Honda are the only companies selling "mass-market" hybrids in the world. Honda had sold 37,000 hybrids worldwide by April of 2003. According to Reuters' Chang-Ran Kin: "Honda plans to start selling a hybrid version of its flagship Accord this autumn, while Toyota's Lexus brand will launch the world's first luxury hybrid, the RX400h, this year." Reportedly, the Lexus RX400h will have 20% more power than the gasoline powered RX330. Additionally, it will have a range of 600 miles on a tank of gasoline. Meanwhile. Japan's Corporate News Network announced that Mazda is adding an electric 4WD model in its Demio Series. The company plans to sell 7,000 units per month. Ford will launch the Escape SUV hybrid this year. European automakers are said to be busy developing diesel technology. They are estimated to be several years behind the Japanese in their hybrid vehicles.
Chang-Ran Kin adds that many carmakers are pricing their hybrids low in order to gain market share. For this reason, he says "Toyota has kept the new, roomier, higher-performing Prius at the same price as the first model: $20,000." Honda says it barely makes a profit on its models, while Ford concedes the Escape will sell at a loss.
J.D. Power's research estimates that 100,000 hybrid cars will be sold in the U.S. this year, up from 40,000 in 2003. The projection for 2008 is at 350,000 cars per year. By then there should be 28 hybrid models to choose from, up from only 5 in 2003. However, environmentalists claim that at this pace, hybrids will only account for 2 percent of total car sales in 2008. David Friedman, auto analyst for Union of Concerned Scientists said: "The U.S. administration isn't doing anything to address issues regarding oil dependency, and until it does there's little hope for hybrids spreading faster."
Clearly, Japanese automakers are in the forefront of hybrid and electric car technology at this point, while U.S. automakers such as General Motors concentrate their efforts on hydrogen fuel cell engine technology-- said to be about 15 years away.
SOURCES
"Electric 4WD Model Added to Mazda Demio Series." Japan's Corporate News Network (JCN) Newswire, www.mazda.com, www.japancorp.net
"Electric-Drive Vehicles: History and Characteristics." Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. www.nesea.org
"Electric Vehicle." Wikipedia, Page last modified, January 13, 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle
Gartner, John, "Electric Cars Try to Turn Corner." Wired News, December 14, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,49116,00.html
Kageyama, Yuri, "Toyota Unveils Beefed-Up Hybrid." CBSNEWS.com, April 17, 2003
Kin, Chang-Ran, "Top Japan car makers push hybrids to woo U.S. drivers." Reuters Yahoo! India News, January 7, 2004. www.Yahoo.com
Schreffler, Roger, The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, November 2003. hfcletter@webjogger.net
LESSON PLAN
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:
10-12 grade Economics, International Relations, World History, Geography, International Baccalaureate Programs (IB), Current Events.
PURPOSE:
To present activities to be used in a variety of classroom situations in order to enhance student understanding of the Asian economy and its significance globally.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Describe electric vehicles.
- Describe hybrid electric vehicles.
- Trace the history of the development of electric vehicles.
- Trace the economic history of electric vehicles.
- Create a scenario for the future of electric vehicles.
MATERIALS:
- Background information provided.
- Resources on the Japanese automobile industry available at your school's Media Center and the Public Library System in your area.
- Background information available through Internet "search engines".
- Toyota Prius Chronological History, www.corolland.com/prius/chronology.html
ACTIVITIES:
May be assigned as group activities or as individual tasks. They may also be designed as preparation for related presentations either by individuals or groups.
- Create a timeline illustrating the development of electric vehicles.
- Create a timeline illustrating the development of hybrid electric vehicles.
- Use charts and graphs to illustrate the economic history of the electric vehicle market.
- Use charts and graphs to illustrate the economic history of the hybrid electric vehicle market.
- Draw conclusions about the electric car industry from the information gathered above.
- Hold a class symposium to present information important to automakers, consumers, environmentalists and government officials regarding the development, use and future of electric and hybrid electric cars.
- Using the information above, write an editorial expressing your views on the subject.
- Create a publicity pamphlet promoting the use of electric vehicles.
EVALUATION:
Individual assignments should be graded by the teacher using established criteria.
Group activities, presentations and projects may be evaluated by teachers and students using the following criteria and scale: Content 1 = Superior (A) Creativity 2 = Excellent (B) Clarity 3 = Good (C) 4 = Fair (D) 5 = Poor (F)
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