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The new Subaru Stella plug-in isn't the only Japanese green car making its debut next month at the G8 conference in Hokkaido. Suzuki's in the game as well with a new hydrogen fuel cell version of its SX4 crossover, the SX4-FCV. Fitted with a fuel cell supplied by GM, and a 70 MPa (10,000 psi) storage tank for the H₂, the SX4-FCV has a maximum operating range of 250 kilometers and a top speed of 120 km/h (around 75 mph). Power output from the fuel cell is rated at 80 kW, while the motor delivers 68 kW. Road testing has been approved by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and transport, and will commence soon.

[Source: Suzuki]

Subaru has cooked up another electric kei car for me to park in my fantasy green garage, right next to the R1e and Mitsubishi i MiEV I don't currently have. It's a plug-in concept version of the Stella, and it will make its formal debut at next month's G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Five of the cars will be on hand at the conference -- four to shuttle folks hither and to, and one on static display as part of the on-site Environmental Showcase

The electric powertrain is the same one Subaru uses in its R1e demonstrator -- permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power output of 40 kW powered by a lithium ion battery pack. Operating range on a full charge is 80 kilometers, and the cars have a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The plug-in Stella is an advance over the 2-seat R1e in that, like Mitsubishi's i MiEV, its wagonoid body is a far more practical package overall.

[Source: Subaru]

For the upcoming G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in northern Japan in early July, a lot of advanced technology vehicles will be on display and used to move officials and dignitaries (oh, and media representatives) around. Honda is the latest to announce their starting lineup, and it includes the hydrogen fuel cell-powered FCX Clarity (above) and nine Civic hybrids. Don't care about Honda's wheeled inventions? Then spend time with ASIMO humanoid robot and some CIGS thin solar cells, both of which will be at the Environmental Showcase during the summit. More details on these two items after the jump.

Other vehicles that will be showcased and used at the summit are the Nissan X-Trail diesel, ten Mitsubishi iMiEVs, and 78 hybrid and hydrogen vehicles from Toyota.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsuibshi i MiEV.

Previous G8 summits have seen talk about biofuels and GEM electric vehicles. This year, the EVs are getting a bit of an upgrade, with ten Mitsubishi i MiEV electric vehicles available for officials at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Japan in early July. Media representatives covering the conference will also be able to ride in the zero-emission jellybeans. MItsubishi said in a statement (after the jump) that it hopes "attendees of the G8 Summit will find a new appreciation for the superior practicality and environmental viability of electric vehicles."

The Summit will cover a wide variety of topic, from environmental concerns to African development to the world economy. The Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda (also the G8 Summit chair), said that, "Global warming is a huge challenge, and humanity has no time to lose. The international community must urgently strengthen efforts to resolve this issue." He hopes that a Japanese proposal called the Cool Earth Promotion Programme will pick up support in Hokkaido.

Environmentalists are calling a protest against the "Group of Eight" (G8) summit at St. Petersburg, Russia, this year on July 15th. The protest, called an 'International Day of Action Against Climate Change', is a call of action against continued funding - amounting to trillions of dollars - by the G8 for greater investment in coal, gas, oil resources as well as nuclear energy. The G8 is composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. which effectively dominate 65 percent of the world's economy. The declaration is in response to 'leaked' documentation of the G8's plans to increase production in the above resources.

Activists are not just pushing for protests, though. They point to 'zero emission', referring to the long-term goal of phasing out fossil fuels and prevent runaway greenhouse effects. Current technologies supposedly addressing the issue such as hybrids, nuclear, bio-fuel, only produce 'less pollution' which activists consider half-way measures and do not support a paradigm shift such as switching to wind and solar power or even replacing dryers with clothes lines.

More information after the link. Personally, we have to question some of the solutions and policy changes. Throwing money at alternative technologies such as wind power, for example, as suggested by the activists may not necessary make the technology more viable compared to current energy technologies.

[Source: Infoshop News]