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| A brochure listing the specifications and features of the E300, EM300, and ED250. |
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Mikio Koyama, a member of the Engineering Design Department and also the general secretary of the Labor Union, was assigned to the E300 project in October 1963 to develop its engine and functional units. As the lone member of the project, he began to challenge the development of a portable generator going through every working process from designing to managing the prototype fabrication.
Koyama first had to reduce the size of the generator's engine, a hurdle he overcame by adopting a side-valve design with a displacement of just 50 cc. However, there was also the problem of space layout. Because the output side of the crankshaft was to be taken up by the generator component, all engine-control functions would have to be accommodated within the limited room available at the opposite side of the unit. Accordingly, the magnet rotor had to be attached to the rotational axis. This meant that all the necessary parts had to be attached to a single axis, including the rotation-control governor used to maintain constant r.p.m. and the recoil starter. The positional review of components also included the muffler, ignition coil, and cooling fan. The key was to combine these parts within a small space, yet ensure maximum efficiency in operation.
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