If only any of those Japanese manufacturers were actually committed to make a really good EV. Seriously the Prius was so ahead of time, that you would think that Toyota would have been among the leaders in the EV sector, instead they kind of overslept the whole EV revolution and now complain about it.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

They didn't oversleep, they ignored it on purpose because they want to make hydrogen engines and apparently no one there saw the writing on the wall

[–] MrVilliam@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they should've looked into that tech instead of obsessing over hydrogen cell tech...

[–] WalnutLum@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I still think hydrogen cells are a better long-term solution than BEVs. It's way ahead of it's time considering tbe infrastructure requirements, but I assume at some point after everyone is using BEVs and realizing the comparative downsides it'll see a revival.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Unlikely, Hydrogen storage isn't a solvable problem.

[–] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

The generation is tricky too, vast majority of it is actually sourced from fossil fuels 😑

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen/production-of-hydrogen.php

[–] WanderingVentra@lemm.ee 18 points 3 months ago

Oh no! Competition! That's good for the planet!

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

If only their country wouldn't be so eager to enter in selfdestructive accords with its suzerain, right now half of cars on entire planet could be produced in Japan. Or maybe half of Japan would be bombed to rubble because that's how this surerain is when someone weaker don't obey.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

When your country is occupied by a foreign military, you don't get a lot of choice in your political decisions.

[–] anachronist@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I don't think that foreign power told them to focus on Hydrogen. Japan is still searching for an economic wunderwaffe. Like in the 90s when they tried to leapfrog the west on software by focusing their entire computer industry on Prolog.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm referring more to US forcing Japan to abandon export of chips to their biggest customer https://www.capitalbrief.com/newsletter/us-pushes-japan-netherlands-on-stricter-chip-controls-for-china-3f80bc97-3edc-4368-9482-6ea4b5cbc16a/preview/

[–] anachronist@midwest.social 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe I'm behind but I thought we were talking about electric cars...

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 months ago

I mean it's all related in the end. If Japan bet wrong with hydrogen, then the obvious fix would be to partner up with Chinese companies like CATL for batteries.

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 11 points 3 months ago

They're coming closer! My god, they're advancing rapidly!

[–] Brickardo@feddit.nl 9 points 3 months ago

Womp womp?

[–] SpacePirate@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 months ago

I’ll believe it when I see a shift in manufacturing.