Interview with GLM Japan
Jun 09, 2016
IDTechEx interviewed Sota Nagano CFO and Shuji Nishimura EVsystem Department of GLM 8.6.16 a company that makes its own designer pure electric sports car, with successful sales despite having started as a company as recently as 2010. They use only 16kWh lithium-ion batteries from GS Yuasa, like them based in Kyoto. Range is over 250 km. Rather than take the BMW route of carbon fiber with its recycling challenge marring its green image they follow the Jaguar Land Rover route of aluminium structure.
A new model will be shown at the Paris Motor Show and this will have a somewhat larger battery but still less than half that in a Tesla 3. Of course, this is a two seater. Its beautiful styling is reminiscent of Ferrari and other traditional designer car companies. Power is 225 kW with maximum torque 415 Nm so it will not beat Tesla ludicrous mode but with its double wishbone suspension and very low center of gravity the ride is superb. When Tesla abandoned the market positioning of its Roadster, it left the market open for cars such as this. GLM employs about 50 people and they said, with only a slight degree of exaggeration, that, of the tiny number of startups in Japan, "We are the last one standing".
