Despite growing interest in electric vehicles (EVs), challenges such as limited charging infrastructure, short driving ranges, and high costs remain. Still, the shift toward EVs is seen as inevitable. Global companies like Tesla in the U.S. and BYD in China are leading this transition.
Over 20 years ago, before Tesla’s rise, a Japanese professor named Dr. Hiroshi Shimizu developed a high-performance EV called Eliica. Built in 2004, it used an in-wheel motor system—where motors are built into each wheel—to reach speeds faster than a Porsche 911. Dr. Shimizu’s work proved early on that EVs could match or surpass the performance of traditional sports cars.
Dr. Shimizu later founded SIM Drive Corp. to bring his technology to market, but faced major hurdles due to resistance from Japan’s traditional auto industry and high production costs. Today, companies like Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd. are building on his legacy. Their new subsidiary, e-Gle Tech Co., Ltd., aims to create affordable, long-range EVs using in-wheel motors and next-gen batteries—continuing the mission to make advanced, sustainable EVs a reality.
