Daihatsu planning to build electric minivehicles
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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Daihatsu will soon be coming out with its own lineup of electric vehicles. The Japanese company has not had a presence in the US market since 1992 but it continues to sell cars in 37 countries. It sells a range of vehicles from the hardtop convertible Copen to a 7-passenger version of its Terios SUV. Company president Teruyuki Minoura says that if they can find batteries of high enough quality, they will make some all-electric mini vehicles. Daihatsu engineers have been talking to Toyota, which has held a controlling interest in Daihatsu since 1999, to learn about integrating batteries in the cars. When asked why a hybrid vehicle isn't part of the plan, Minoura said that equipping its current mini-vehicles with hybrid components would add to the weight and its economy would suffer. This answer really isn't all that believable since the Toyota Auris is diminutive but it has a hybrid version and Daihatsu already has a mild hybrid version of its Hijet mini cargo van. Still, we're looking forward to the new lineup of fuel-free cars.
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