The United Kingdom, which is the presidency of the UN Conference on Climate Change Countermeasures "COP26" held in the United Kingdom, aims to make the world's new car sales into EV = electric vehicles and other emission-free vehicles by 2040. In summary, more than 20 countries have announced that they have agreed.
On the other hand, Japan, the United States, Germany, etc., which have large automobile industries, have forgotten to participate.
Why did Japan forgo participation?
We explored the current status and issues of EV development in Japan.
EV shifts one after another at Japanese automakers
On the 11th of this month, automobile manufacturer SUBARU announced that it will launch EV = electric vehicles in Japan and the United States by the middle of next year.
As the development and sales of EVs accelerate overseas, major manufacturers have recently announced EVs one after another in Japan.
SUBARU President Tomomi Nakamura
"We were able to firmly guarantee SUBARU's uniqueness in EVs, such as safety and four-wheel drive performance. I think that customers' expectations will not change in the EV world, so I want to do it without removing it."
Honda, which has declared that all new cars will be electric-powered "EVs" and hydrogen-powered "FCV / fuel cell vehicles" by 2040, will support "engine Honda" from popular cars to F1 which is the highest peak in automobile racing. The engineers who have come are challenging the field of EV.
President Keiji Otsu of Honda
R & D Co.,
Ltd.
"It is quite difficult to continuously convert the engine to ZEV (decarbonization of the car), so we will develop the technology to surely achieve carbon neutrality and put it on the market. I think it's time to go. I'm lonely. "
As the momentum for decarbonization is increasing, domestic automobile manufacturers have recently launched new sales plans for EVs one after another.
▽ Toyota Motor announced in October
that it will sell
EV-only brand
SUV = multipurpose sports car,
which it aims to expand globally,
from the middle of 2022, and
plans to launch seven EVs of this special brand
by
2025.
▽ Honda sold a small EV in Japan and Europe last year.
In addition
to launching
new EVs in China next spring,
we plan to launch mini vehicle-sized EVs in Japan in 2024.
▽ Nissan Motor has been on sale since 2010, and
plans to sell the new SUV EV in Japan and overseas this winter.
▽ Mazda has
indicated that it will
sell EVs in January this
year and will launch three more models by 2025.
▽ Mitsubishi Motors
plans to sell a
mini vehicle-sized EV jointly developed with Nissan Motor in
early 2022.
In addition,
even among the
main manufacturers of mini vehicles,
▽ Suzuki has indicated a policy to bring it to the market by 2025, and
▽ Daihatsu Industries is also proceeding with development, and
the development of EVs by Japanese automobile manufacturers is accelerating. I am.
Target of zero exhaust gas vehicles in 2040 Japan, the United States, etc. will not participate
With the announcement of EVs by major domestic manufacturers one after another, sales of new vehicles such as gasoline vehicles and hybrid vehicles will be stopped by 2040 at "COP26" held in the United Kingdom, and EVs and fuel cell vehicles that do not emit exhaust gas We have summarized the new goals for the transition to.
▽ Twenty-four countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Chile have agreed on the goals.
(As of November 11)
▽ In addition
, major automobile manufacturers such as
GM = General Motors of the United States, Ford,
and Volvo of Sweden also agreed.
▽ On the other hand, Japan, the United States, Germany, France and
China
, which have large automobile industries, have
forgotten to participate.
Why Japan forgot to participate
What is in the background?
It is said that about 30,000 parts are required to make one gasoline car.
It is said that about half of the parts required for an electric vehicle are required, and there are concerns about the impact on the employment of parts manufacturers.
In addition, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said that if renewable energy becomes widespread and carbon dioxide emissions may shift to countries with low carbon dioxide emissions, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will say that if Japanese cars cannot be exported, 100 It says that the employment of all people can be lost.
Japan is trying to eliminate gasoline in a form that includes hybrids, and Japanese manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corporation, are leading the world in hybrid technology that uses both engines and electricity.
And the country was drawing such a path to prepare for the era of full-scale electrification while making the best use of hybrid technology, which it is good at.
There are still many challenges for EV transition
According to MarkLines, a research company in the automobile industry, the number of EVs sold last year was 12,900 in Japan, which is only 0.3% of the number of new cars sold.
Behind the sluggish growth of EVs is
that there are not enough dedicated charging stations, and there are a
wide variety of hybrid vehicles. In addition,
more than 70% of
the
power source
depends
on thermal power generation, so it is regenerated. It has been pointed out that even if EVs are increased without popularizing possible energy, a large amount of carbon dioxide will be emitted when producing the electricity required for charging.
Regarding this goal, it was said that it is not realistic to set a goal to completely shift to EV etc. at an early stage from countries where automobiles are a core industry, so how will it be in the EV market of each country in the future? It will be noticed whether it will have an impact.