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.
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