Look for Unprecedented Launch of EVs in Japanese Market
JAPAN REPORT
The Japanese market in 2022 will be greatly affected by two factors: COVID-19 in its third year and the semiconductor shortage. Despite this, companies are making steady progress in their approach to the industrial issues of the environment and safety, and in particular, the full-scale development of EV products is positioned as a major step toward the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050. The launch of EVs in the Japanese market in 2022 will be on an unprecedented scale.
Nissan will start selling its new model “ARIA” at the beginning of the year. Nissan and Mitsubishi are also jointly developing a mini-EV which they plan to launch early in 2022. Toyota and Subaru will also gradually roll out their first jointly developed SUV in Japan and overseas markets starting in mid-2022. Toyota’s “bZ4X” and Subaru’s “SOLTERRA” are the best-selling mid-size SUV EVs globally and will be the touchstone for future EV development. Honda will launch its first two Honda-brand EVs in China in the spring of 2022. These are also SUVs and will be marketed under the name “e:NS1” by Dongfeng Honda and “e:NP1” by Guangqi Honda, both of which are local joint ventures, and will be considered for export from China to global markets.