I used to follow it closely and be in the industry, but it still seems like Japan is gonna be the last "mostly ICE cars" of the developed countries.

Which is a shame, because it has a perfect combination of short-range needs (I mean, look at kei-cars), tons of wonderful places to hang out while charging (toll-way rest areas are so good), rare sub-freezing temperatures in most of the country, mandatory vehicle inspections (which could collect great safety data as well as preventative maintenance), general love of new cars and brand loyalty, lack of political or individual divide of "big gas trucks are manly", mobile-power-station earthquake preparedness (a nice bonus), generally cooperative nation-wide infrastructure...

I guess we just have to hope the main automakers can hold on long enough for solid-state batteries and move faster than a snail's pace when it does.

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xbmcuser 39 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Why cars though I think people are still stuck with the cars mindset. But with electric we can get smaller ebikes/pods for individuals instead of cars

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an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[deleted]

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cammikebrown 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you live in Tokyo or Osaka you really shouldn’t own a car

	▲	mc3301 9 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		If you live in New York City or San Francisco, you really shouldn't own a car.
	▲	klempner 24 minutes ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		And one of the points that's a little more obvious living here: Japan is a remarkably car centric culture. Not quite to the extent of America, but in much of the country you really do need a car. If anything the main exceptions to that are exactly the places tourists are most likely to go.
	▲	zdragnar 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		What about the parent comment implied Tokyo or Osaka residence?
	▲	cyberax an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Hence nobody should live in Tokyo and Osaka.

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inatreecrown2 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Isn't the reason they are so slow to adapt them that they have not enough electricity?

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toomuchtodo 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Japanese automakers are excessively risk adverse. Last big risk by Toyota was their hybrid synergy drive, which they coasted on for too long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Synergy_Drive

https://autos.yahoo.com/ev-and-future-tech/articles/toyota-p...

https://www.motor1.com/news/798173/toyota-chairman-reveals-w...

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Loocid 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Which seems strange since Toyota are the origins of JiT manufacturing. I wonder what made Japan go through a period of incredible innovation and then just decide "ok, that's enough".

	▲	leonidasrup 12 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Japan still has not fully recovered from the asset price bubble's collapse beginning in 1990. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decades

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tyre 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In your opinion/experience, why is it that they aren't switching?

	▲	mc3301 13 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Probably a mix between oil-ties and the fact that decisions in Japan are made slowly. Edit: I also think there's a fear of this: wide acceptance of EVs open the door to BYD (or similar) huge takeover of the car market.
	▲	chubs an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I have a theory: Japanese car's have excellent reliability, their interiors and design are lacking. If every car in the world is an EV, which due to their relative simplicity tend to be reliable, what remaining unique selling points does eg a toyota have?

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cyberax an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Solid-state batteries are facing production hell now, with lots of issues cropping up when tested at large-scale in real devices.

So they are not expected in meaningful quantities until the early 2030-s.

And the LFP chemistry has now advanced so much that solid-state batteries might not even matter anymore, except for some niche uses like aviation/drones.