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A journey to our driving future | Autoblog in Japan

TOKYO — We here at Autoblog recently went to Japan to drive cars, ride trains and talk to people about the past and future of mobility. In 1964, Japan hosted the Summer Olympics. To showcase to the world how far they had come since WWII, Japan launched its latest marvel in mobility, the Shinkansen (or as we call it, the Bullet Train). In 2020, Japan is hosting the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and this time the nation is prepared to showcase a huge push toward autonomous cars. Green Editor John Beltz Snyder, Senior Producer Christopher McGraw and Associate Producer Alexander Malburg traveled there to get a sense of the country's transportation ecosystem with the 2020 Games on the horizon, and we filmed the experience along the way. In this series of videos, you'll see us try out car features that aren't yet available in the U.S., talk to an expert at Nissan about electric and autonomous mobility, ride the incredibly fast Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto, pay homage to Soichiro Honda — and Ayrton Senna — at the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi, and see some beautiful and historic sites along the way. Here's what we'll be showcasing from our trip to Japan. Check back here as we update the list with links to all the videos: Driving a Subaru WRX equipped with EyeSight with Touring Assist Reviewing the 2018 Nissan Leaf on the roads of Japan Testing ProPilot Park on the Nissan Leaf Talking with Nicholas Thomas, Nissan's director of electric vehicles How to ride the Shinkansen in Japan (We love trains!) Touring the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi Check out the travelogue video at the top of this page for a taste of what's to come, then join us for a journey to Japan, Autoblog style. Related Video: Auto News Green Honda Nissan Subaru Green Driving Technology Autonomous Vehicles Electric Videos Original Video

Next-gen Honda Accord PHEV may have 39-mile EV range [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Disregard what The Asahi Shimbun said on this. The paper apparently conflated the upcoming Clarity-based PHEV and the non-plug Accord Hybrid and has since updated its article. We got an email from Honda clarifying the situation: The refreshed Accord Hybrid, slated to launch in the middle of this year, will not have a plug-in variant. Honda will bring a new, dedicated plug-in hybrid to market by 2018 that leverages the same platform that underpins the upcoming Clarity Fuel Cell. This new PHEV will feature more than triple the 13-mile electric range of the last generation Accord Plug-in Hybrid. We apologize for the error. Honda's next-generation Accord Plug-in Hybrid could triple the previous model's electric driving range when the new one debuts in the US in 2018. To achieve such a significant improvement, the company would equip the PHEV with a higher capacity battery of the same physical size and more efficient electric motors, according to the The Asahi Shimbun. The next Accord PHEV could drive the equivalent of 68 miles in EV mode, the newspaper claims. However, we believe this figure comes from the Japanese test on electric models, which produces higher figures than the US evaluation. Tripling the 2014 Accord Plug-in's EPA-estimated 13-mile range suggests a number closer to 39 miles when the new generation reaches this country. A figure around 39 miles would still make the 2018 Accord a contender among the current PHEV sedans. For example, the EPA rates the Hyundai Sonata Plug-in at a 27-mile range and estimates the Ford Fusion Energi at 20 miles. The latest Chevrolet Volt, which would likely be smaller than the Honda, wins out with 53 miles of driving distance, though. Honda plans a new pure EV and PHEV in its US lineup by 2018, and the plug-in shares a chassis with the upcoming FCEV fuel cell sedan. The next-gen Accord would give the company another flavor of PHEV to offer customers, too. American Honda Motor Executive Vice President John Mendel told Autoblog last year the company would update the standard Accord Hybrid in 2016 and introduce the next PHEV variant here in 2018. Related Video:

Cafe racer motorbikes storm Japan

Japan may be best known, at least among motorcycle enthusiasts, for its sport bikes. But as we found at the Tokyo Motor Show this year, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are capable of producing all kinds of motorbikes. And to our delight, that includes cafe racers.
Along with the myriad electric bikes, dirt bikes, crotch rockets and scooters, the halls of Tokyo's Big Site convention center this year were full of the retro-infused rides we love. Chief among them was the Bolt (shown above) which Yamaha exhibited alongside their various electric two-wheelers, sporting a delicious metallic blue paintjob, inverted handlebars and hanging mirrors, machined metal bits, blacked-out trim and saddle brown leatherwork.
Honda was also on hand with a new EX version of its '70s-style CB1100 retro roadster in sinister and low-key matte black. And this was our first chance to check out BMW Motorrad's new birthday present to its 90-year-old self, the R NineT, a model recently unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. But one of the most amusing retro rides we came across was the Honda Monkey Limited, a mini bike that makes the new 125cc Grom (which was displayed alongside it) look positively gigantic.