Japanese Lead Eco-Car Race - Shame Shame Detroit!

Washington DC September 9, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that Honda's electric FCX clarity is just one of a number of next-generation green automobiles that are beginning to come off assembly lines in Japan. Click here for a picture. These vehicles, whether powered by fuel cells, long-lasting batteries, or renewable biofuels, have been around for years, but almost always as one-off utopian designs. According to Newsweek, Japanese automakers are now going to the next level, entering the green-car mass market, in many cases years before their competitors. Nissan plans to introduce an electric vehicle to the United States and Japan by 2010, with a global rollout in 2012. Toyota is road-testing a plug-in hybrid and plans to launch it in 2009. Honda is preparing for the launch of a new car highly anticipated for its innovative green technologies, including its state-of-the-art battery. Mazda will offer the world's first hydrogen-gasoline hybrid in Japan by next March. "Globally, Japanese companies are definitely at the top right now, and I expect them to remain No. 1 in the future," says Mike Omotoso, an auto analyst for J.D. Power and Associates. "It's definitely having a positive impact on the Japanese economy."

Click Here for more from Newsweek on why Japan is leading the world in producing eco-cars.