Government support and incentives will be needed if Japan is to meet its targets in boosting the sales of hybrid and other low carbon vehicles.
That’s the verdict of Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association chairman Satoshi Aoki on the goal of increasing sales to 20-50 per cent of the overall domestic total by 2020.
Aoki, who is also the chairman of Honda Motor Company and was speaking to the Nikkei, commented that the sales share of hybrid and other next generation vehicles rose to slightly above 10 per cent in fiscal 2009 primarily due to subsidies and tax breaks. He believes that without this support the share will remain “just a little better” than the current level even in 2020.
