Daihatsu has had a long running development program for electric vehicles, beginning with the production of "pavilion cars" for the 1970 Osaka World Expo and continuing with the production of golf carts and vehicles for institutional use, such as the DBC-1. An electric version of the company's Fellow Max kei car also followed, the beginning of a series of prototypes. The 1973 oil crisis provided further impetus and at the 20th Tokyo Motor Show (1973) Daihatsu displayed a 550 W electric trike (TR-503E) as well as the BCX-III electric car prototype. Daihatsu showed more prototypes through the 1970s, for instance at the 1979 Sydney Motor Show, and then joined the Japanese Electric Vehicle Association's PREET program (Public Rent an Electric Towncar) with an electric version of the Max Cuore keicar. The program allowed registered users access to the cars with a magnetized card and charged according to mileage used.

The current hybrid vehicle technology is called Daihatsu Mild Hybrid System, and is mainly used in the Atrai/Hijet Hybrid-IV.

Hybrid Hijet

In 2002, Daihatsu debuted the Hijet Cargo Hybrid concept, a hybrid van, in Japan using a 660 cc engine. The car is based on the existing non-hybrid Hijet Cargo. Daihatsu calls it a mild hybrid design. Its design (called Daihatsu Mild Hybrid System or DMHS based on Toyota hybrid technology) is quite different from many existing hybrid design where as the gas and electric powered components assembled as one unit. The electric motor sits between the gasoline powered engine and the transmission unit. The car is 30% more fuel efficient than its gas-powered counterpart.

The hybrid minicars (called FEV - Ultra Fuel Economy - and Atrai Hybrid-IV) made its debut in 2002 as a concept minicar. Its production was announced in October 2004 but as of May 2006 had not been released.

Daihatsu Move, custom model

ZX40ST Electric Truck

The most powerful "fleet" electric utility truck on the market debuted at FedFleet '07 in Orlando in the summer of 2007. The truck is governed to a maximum speed of 25 miles (40 km) an hour and travels 50–60 miles per charge. Like the ZX40S Advanced Design, this truck also uses an advanced three phase, brushless, AC induction motor, which comes standard with regenerative braking and optional air conditioning. MSRP $18,400.

ZX40

The Miles Electric Vehicles ZX40 is a subcompact electric car built by FAW Tianjin (Tianjin-Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co), a subsidiary of the First Automobile Works in Tianjin, China. The car is a licensed version of the Japanese Daihatsu Move minicompact and is sold in China as the Xinfu ("Happy Messenger"). Miles takes a vehicle without a drivetrain and adds the motor components.

It is powered by a single 48-volt electric motor, which produces 4.2 kW (5.6 hp) and uses a 150-amp-hour battery pack. The car uses an on-board charger that charges through a standard 110-volt 20-amp outlet. An empty battery fully charges in six hours, but only two to three hours are needed to charge it fully if the car is less than 80% empty. The ZX40 can travel up to 64 km (40 mi) at speeds limited to 40 km/h (25 mph). It is a 2- or 4-seat car and is DOT-approved for street use.

The ZX40 has been discontinued for the 2008 model year, in favor of the more powerful ZX40S and AC Motor-powered ZX40S Advanced Design.

ZX40S

The ZX40S was designed to accelerate faster than the ZX40. It is powered by a 72-volt system instead of a 48-volt system, which extends its range to 50–60 miles (80–96 km). To comply with federal law, the ZX40S is also electronically speed-limited to 25 mph (40 km/h) like the ZX40 (except in Washington State and Minnesota where electric vehicles which meet federal safety standards are allowed to operate up to 35 mph (56 km/h) as Medium Speed Electric Vehicles).

The ZX40 and ZX40S are classified as "low-speed vehicles", meaning they have fewer regulations to comply with. Such vehicles must include standard lighting and seatbelts, but do not require passive restraints, typically airbags in higher-speed vehicles. The vehicles should not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h) on streets with posted speed limits of 35 mph (56 km/h) or less. These vehicles also fall under the Washington State speed exemption cited above and may be operated up to 35 mph (56 km/h). MSRP $19,499 USD.

ZX40S Advanced Design

This vehicle uses the same body as the two above models, but uses an AC induction motor that offers greater power and torque, extended lifetime, and regenerative braking.

The Future

Okay, so electric motoring is great. Now just imagine that you own a Daihatsu EV and it is equipped with a universal battery cartridge so that you can pull into any service forecourt and refuel instantly. One day that will be possible, and who knows it may be Daihatsu that is one of the first to agree to develop a car with such a system.

Battery cartridge exchange has already been incorporated in several vehicles, and service forecourts designed in principle, but a cheap and practical version of this technology fitted into a production vehicle is still awaited.

Daihatsu Mira conversion

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Daihatsu UFE III low drag concept car

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