The Little Engine that Could

In a place where tsunami and earthquake wiped out cars, trucks, busses and ambulances--not to mention the gasoline supplies that kept them running--how do you get doctors to patients? Food to the hungry?

With cars that skim over the landscape on battery power.

Mitsubishi and Nissan donated electric-powered cars to Japan's battered northeast. The cars flitted about by day, then at night returned to the City Halls, where they were plugged in to 200-volt outlets. Even the Japanese standard household 100-volt outlet would work, provided more time (12 hours, or overnight) was allotted for the recharge.

More information on these little engines that could can be found in The New York Times online.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/automobiles/08JAPAN.html?hpw