PROCESS MODEL OF INNOVATION

Idea generation:

1.Recognizing a need:

This study looks at the development of hybrid, electic and low emissions vehicles in Japan
between the 1970s and the 1990s.In the 1970s the Japanese Government, in response to the oil
shocks and air pollution concerns, launched a series of market expansion plans for the
development and commercialization of low emission vehicles (LEVs) and set targets for their
uptake within Japan.

2.Technical means to solve need:

In the case of LEVs in Japan for example, both the Japanese government and Japanese vehicle
manufacturers considered the development of LEVs to be of strategic and economic
importance to the country as a whole, and the support for this technology was deemed
important to positioning Japanese vehicle manufactures ahead of their European and North
American rivals. They built this new technology on the basis of the comparative advantage
that they enjoyed in electric drive trains and battery technologies.

Proposal of funding:

The plans spanned horizons of at least 10 years and were intended to coordinate the actions of
government agencies, automakers and suppliers, municipalities and universities in their
effort to accelerate the development of LEVs The development of LEVs in Japan began in
the1970s. LEVs in Japan benefited from direct public financing of R&D, public subsidies
for demonstration projects, Government procurement programs and infrastructure
investment.
Problem Solving Subprocess :

1.Division of problems:

The amount of fuel a vehicle burns directly relates to the pollutants it produces. Some of the
toxic substances from fossil fuel emissions include:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)–Contributes to global warming. Vehicles give off 20 lbs. of CO2
for every gallon of gas consumed. Americans burn an average of 200 million gallons of
gas per day. This causes the release of about 4 billion pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere
per day.
• Sulfur-Can cause acid rain.
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)-Toxic invisible gas.
• Nitrous Oxide (NOX)-Causes smog and acid rain.
• Hydrocarbons (HC)-Causes Ozone Smog. Contributes to Benzene emissions, which are
considered carcinogenic. Causes groundwater pollution.
• Fine Particulates-Can cause respiratory illnesses, and worsens the condition of those
suffering from them. Some particulates are also thought to be carcinogenic.
• 3-Nitrobenzanthrones is released in this form, and is thought to be the most toxic
substance known.

2.Finding different alternatives to solve problems:

Different standards have been developed to categorize fuel efficiency in vehicles. The categories
are low-emission vehicle (LEV), ultra-low-emission vehicle (ULEV), super-ultra-low emission
vehicle (SULEV), and zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. For example, passenger cars and
light-duty trucks certified to low-emission vehicle standards provide the following emissions
reductions when compared to the minimum (Tier 1) standard:

Passenger car emissions reductions HC CO NOx

Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle(TLEV) 50% NR NR
Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) 70% NR 50%
Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (ULEV) 85% 50% 50%
Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV) 96% 70% 95%
Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) 100% 100% 100%

Implementation and Diffusion Subprocess:

The R&D programmes first introduced by the MITI focused upon battery powered electric
vehicles (BPEVs), which MITI and industry stakeholders adjudged to be the best technology
option. However, the uptake was disappointing and only 655 BPEVs were introduced between
1977 and 1996, mostly in supported, niche markets (JEVA, 1996). The introduction of the
Californian ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate in 1990 affected major Japanese
manufacturers encouraging Toyota, Nissan and Honda to invest heavily in BPEV technology
(Mauro, 2000; Patchell, 1999). Government purchasing programmes were implemented to
encourage the uptake of the BPEVs, but these programmes fell far short of government targets,
and infrastructure to support the operation of BPEVs was also slow to materialize. By 2000, the
weak market response and stalling of the ZEV mandate in California led to a bleak domestic
outlook for BPEVs.

LEV growth was catalysed by Toyota’s launch of the Prius hybrid electric vehicle in 1997,
which saw technology developed for BPEVs put to use in a petrol-based HEV configuration. By
2001, over 50,000 HEVs were in circulation in Japan, and several new models of HEVs were
being introduced onto the market. The MITI continued to provide financial support to HEVs by
subsidizing half of the extra cost of an HEV compared to a comparable conventional vehicle
(Daito, 2002). Toyota’s production and sales volumes gradually increased as the Prius captured
greater market share. Cumulative sales of the Prius surpassed 1 million vehicles in 2008 and now
most major car companies have a HEV in production or are in the process of developing such a
vehicle.

Source:

http://greensangha.org/low-emission-vehicle/#content

http://thinkcarbon.wordpress.com/