Japan hopes electric cars were just a bad dream

FRANCE and Japan are both world leaders in design – but if you’re wanting to keep up with fashion, Paris is the unmissable trendsetter, while Tokyo is a backwater. It’s looking similar in the world of cars.

This week’s Paris Motor Show has been a chance for a tariff-buttressed European car industry to showcase its ability to fight back against affordable, innovative Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) imports. The buzz was palpable half a world away: Renault, Stellantis, and Volkswagen all teased new EVs around or below a competitive 25,000 euros (S$35,600) price level. Cheeky, crazy designs might even pique the interest of Europeans who increasingly seem to be drifting towards a post-car era.

Blink, and you might have missed the fact that Japan’s car sector was displaying its wares at the same time. What’s more, you’d be forgiven for thinking the EV revolution wasn’t happening at all.