Japan Auto Fuel Efficiency to Soar

The Toyota Prius Plug in Hybrid version.  Rated at 61 kpl of gasoline (143 mpg)

Japan's auto fleet has always been very fuel efficient.  In contrast to the U.S., where cheap gas and free highways and parking are (or were) in many areas considered basic human rights, akin to the right to bear arms (guns), Japan has always had very expensive 100% imported fuel, crowded roads with high tolls and, in metropolitan areas at least, very limited parking.  For someone who lives in Tokyo, the question is not so much "which car will I get" but "do I need or want a car at all"?

And of course the Japanese manufacturers first made in-roads into the U.S. market by having a fuel economy advantage over Detroit and its big "gas guzzlers".

Of course, Japanese conditions are not so different from some parts of Europe -- expensive gas and tolls, limited parking.  But the Japanese "Galapagos" industry structure has seen the automobile market evolve in a very different way than Europe -- for example, Japan has almost no diesel passenger cars, much more like the U.S. than Europe.  Only in very recent years has Mazda implemented a "clean diesel" version of its CX-5 SUV, and Nissan its X-Trail SUV.  Volkswagen is present in the Japanese market, ... but does not try to market its diesel TDI engines.

And of course, Japan has been the leader in introducing hybrid gas/electric vehicles, with Toyota and Honda very much in the lead in commercializing these technologies.

And within the past few years, MANY new Japanese cars now feature the "idling stop", with engines turning off and restarting automatically at intersections.

Another feature of the Japanese market is the widespread role of "kei" cars -- light cars with less than 1000cc displacement engines and meeting other requirements.  They are recognizable by their yellow license plates.  The kei cars are assigned significantly lower automobile taxes -- an incentive that foreign manufacturers have often complained about, since their models do not meet the requirements, and the requirements do not relate directly to fuel economy.  Japanese car companies such as Daihatsu or Suzuki are known primarily for their kei cars.  The major companies also have a large number of choices of kei models.

And, of course, there are a few electric-only cars in Japan, notably the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MIEV.  To date these have only limited presence (range anxiety), despite efforts to implement networks of charging stations and despite the relatively short distances of average urban Japanese auto trips.

And just as in other markets, the government currently offers substantial incentives -- cash rebate, tax reduction, etc. -- for "eco cars" that meet fuel efficiency, emission and other requirements.

How far has Japan gone toward a post-modern, fuel efficient automobile fleet?

A few commonly available statistics should help:

In FY2012, approximately 40% of Toyota's Japanese passenger car sales were of hybrid gas/electric models.  For the first six months of the current fiscal year (April to September 2013) period, the top selling car models in Japan were:

1.  Toyota Aqua subcompact hybrid.  127,993 units.  Rated* at 35.4 km/L (83.26 mpg equivalent)

2.  Toyota Prius compact hybrid.  121,634 units.  Rated at 30.4 to 34.6 km/L (71.5 to 76.7 mpg)

3.  Honda N Box kei car.  110,155 units.  Rated at up to 24.2 km/L (56.9 mpg) with a small (less than 1000cc) advanced gasoline engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT).  List price from around 1.36 million yen (~$14,000).

4.  Daihatsu Move kei car.  107,591 units.  Rated at up to 29 km/L (68.2 mpg) with an advanced gasoline engine, CVT and list price between $10000 and $12500.

5.  Suzuki Wagon R kei car.  88,071 units.  Rated at 30km/L (70.5 mpg) with an advanced gasoline engine and, of course, idling stop (which kicks in when the car slows to under 13 kph).  Suzuki also heavily promotes its regenerative braking -- the car battery is charged largely by recapture of braking forces.  Even without a hybrid powertrain, mileage goes up when all the electronics, including A/C, get power from recaptured brake energy.

If these are the best selling cars in Japan, then imagine what the entire fleet's fuel economy will look like in 5-10 years time!

*Of course, the fuel economy ratings (using "JC08" mode--more conservative than "JC10/JC15" modes used in the past) are based on assumptions and do not necessarily prove out in real driving conditions.  I rented a Toyota Aqua hybrid this summer and drove it mostly on expressways, including some long climbs and descents and generally at speeds of 100 kph or so with A/C on for two days, and ended up with mileage of just under 25 km/L (58 mpg).

After leading the market with its near-experimental Honda Insight in the 1990s, Honda has trailed Toyota in the hybrid "race" in recent years, as it used a "weak" style hybrid in its Civic Hybrid and 2010 Insight (introduced around the same time as, and upstaged by, a new version of the Toyota Prius that had better fuel economy).

1990s Honda Insight

2010 Honda Insight

Honda has changed its approach and in June 2013 introduced a version of its mid-sized Accord Sedan that is rated at 30 km/L.  The Accord is a near-luxury car in Japan and will never reach the "top 10" sales list.  The Honda Fit, on the other hand, is Honda's main compact (by U.S. standards subcompact) model, and has often been a top seller.  Honda recently introduced a hybrid version of the Fit that is rated at 36.4 km/L (85.6 mpg), topping even the Aqua.   Look for the Honda FIT hybrid to return to the "best seller" list in short order.

Honda Accord hybrid - now with 30 km/L hybrid version

Honda Fit -- 36.4 km/L hybrid version available

Toyota's line-up of cars and small trucks sold in Japan now includes 16 different hybrid models, including the new best-selling Aqua and the plug-in hybrid version of its venerable Prius.  The Toyota Lexus brand includes another 6 hybrid models (though these are "performance" rather than "fuel economy" hybrids, with a flagship Lexus GS getting 18.2 km/L in the hybrid version versus less than 10 km/L for the GS350 non-hybrid).

The plug-in Prius will drive the initial 26 kms using only its electric engine, and so actual gas mileage can be infinite if you never drive further than that.  It is rated at 61 km/L using JC08 mode. (If that is not good enough for you, the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander, an SUV-like model, if fully charged will go the first 60 km on its electric engine, and is rated at 67 km/L overall (not on the best seller list, but the family of one of Misako's friends has one).

Toyota hybrid models

Toyota's Lexus mark hybrid modeles

Honda's line-up includes 8 hybrid models, and another 9 models of "kei" mini cars with engines of under 1000cc displacement.

Nissan's line-up includes a dizzying mix of "eco cars", including the all electric Leaf, several hybrids, the 25 km/liter "eco supercharger" equipped Nissan Note.

Even Subaru now has a hybrid version of its SV "all wheel drive" small SUV.  Going from the regular 2.0L engine to the hybrid model boosts rated mileage from 15.8 km/L to 20 km/L (47 mpg).

Of course, there are some imported cars and foreign makes in Japan.  Mercedes Benz, BMW, and VW/Audi are doing well.  Then again, the Mercedes closest to me  (my next door neighbor) is one of these -- a Daimler/Mercedes Benz group Smart all-electric two seat car, with a 180 km range (measured in JC08 mode, more like 140 kms based on US/European measurements).

So even if Japan trails Europe in wind, solar and other renewables, its automobile companies are doing their part at the transition to a green energy future.