Japan is going all out to promote eco-friendly plug-in electric cars in a big way.

Next year, hundreds of 'quick recharge' power stations and other requisite infrastructure to make these vehicles an attractive option should be in place, a report said.

Top car companies are offering battery-powered cars making Japan the first country to adopt these vehicles in a major shift to pitch for `green' alternatives, the Financial Times report said.

The government, carmakers and electricity utilities, are backing the transport and power system upgrades, which are designed to make them user-friendly so drivers will find it convenient to drive longer with short recharges.

The Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), has come up with a recharging device that could power the car for 40 km after a five-minute charge. The company said a 10-minute charge gave 60 km worth of power.

Mitsubishi and Subaru are all set to roll out the first plug-in cars next year and 2010 with plans to install recharge stations in supermarkets and other public places.

Japan is thinking far ahead - of offering free recharges, incentives for towns and cities which go 'green' to become `model districts', and asking carmakers to offer discounts for these electric cars to make them the norm on the country's roads.

The country had proposed to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 60-80 per cent by 2050 at this year's G8 summit.