Electric vehicles come to the rescue in Japan

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The massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan on March 11th has, in some ways, crippled the nation. But with massive relief efforts underway, the country will eventually recover from this disastrous mess. Surprisingly, electric vehicles have aided relief efforts in Japan during this period of recovery.

Recently, New York Times reporter, Ken Belson, posted an article detailing the disaster and recovery in Japan. Belson, having spent five weeks in Japan, witnessed firsthand the devastation across the island nation. Though Belson mainly reported on the efforts to contain the damaged nuclear power plants in Fukushima, he was intrigued by the sight of electric vehicles aiding in the nation's relief efforts. As Belson says, plug-in vehicles contributed to rescue efforts "because while gasoline has been in short supply in northeastern Japan, electricity has been restored in most places." According to Belson, the durability of electric vehicles on the debris-strewn streets in Sendai, Japan may "convince skeptical consumers that the cars are more than electric toys for the environmentally minded."

[Source: New York Times]

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