Koizumi’s electric dream puzzles carmakers

Electric cars have received a high-profile endorsement from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, but his enthusiasm has most industry leaders scratching their heads. Long ago, major automakers concluded that electric cars are impractical, at least for mass production, and have moved on to gas-electric hybrid and fuel-cell technologies.

“It’s fine that (Koizumi) rides various vehicles,” Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Hiroshi Okuda said. “All we can do at Toyota is to see (Koizumi) try the best he can (to push electric cars).” Okuda added that electric cars are unsuitable for volume production because they are heavy and need to be recharged.

asahi.