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The Japanese government is looking at offering subsidies for the
purchase of compact battery electric vehicles (BEVs), reports
The Mainichi, citing sources close to the matter. The move
is aimed at promoting compact BEVs as an alternative to full-size
cars for elderly people, to reduce the number of accidents they
cause. The government is planning to offer a subsidy of JPY100,000
(USD915) per vehicle to provide the elderly population with an
easier and safer means of mobility. The government is also looking
at relaxing regulations for compact BEVs to allow the vehicles to
be driven on most public roads; compact BEVs are currently only
permitted to use a limited number of the country's public roads.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) is considering
drafting a subsidy scheme for compact BEVs based on the existing
subsidies granted when purchasing EVs or plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
No official details have been released so far.
Significance: One of the many challenges faced
by the rapidly ageing Japanese population is that a lot of people
aged 80 or over drive on a daily basis. According to a report by
CNET, there has been a 6.1% increase in the number of fatal
collisions caused by elderly drivers over the past 10 years, with
them now accounting for 14.8% of all fatal car crashes in Japan.
Earlier in June, Japan announced a series of measures to reduce
accidents caused by elderly drivers including emergency braking on
vehicles, vehicle-free zones around schools, and a new licensing
system In July, the government said that it is planning to build a
framework to enable elderly people to use low-speed electric
vehicles. Toyota's new compact BEV, which it plans to put on sale
in late 2020, has been designed to provide short-distance mobility
with a range of approximately 100 km on a single charge and to
reach a maximum speed of 60 km/h. The model was displayed at the
2019 Tokyo Motor Show
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