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Professor creates 300-kph electric car

Yomiuri Shimbun

A Keio University professor has developed a prototype eight-wheel electric automobile that can carry eight passengers and reach speeds of 300 kph.

Prof. Hiroshi Shimizu said Monday that the green, caterpillar like automobile
is environmentally friendly and can be manufactured at a lower cost than similar gasoline-powered cars.

Shimizu hopes the 6.7-meter long, 1.95-meter wide automobile called KAZ
will be marketed within the next few years.

Although distance is the weak point of electric cars, KAZ can travel about
300 kilometers after an hour of recharging.
Since a motor is equipped at the side of each tire, transmission devices are not required. With lithium-ion batteries installed in the space normally used by transmission devices, the automobile is spacious inside and runs
smoothly.

Shimizu developed a similar car for two passengers five years ago, but
decided that a larger car would have a price edge over gasoline cars.

The professor has persuaded his Italian backers to continue financing the
project.

"As the structure of the car is simple, production costs are only slightly higher than those for making a Mercedes-Benz, if 500 cars are produced annually," he said.

KAZ will be on display at an international motor show to be held in Geneva from March 1.
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