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NEWS
Japanese makers unite to charge EVs
Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi work together to hasten charge network growth in JapanIn a bid to speed up consumer acceptance of EVs and plug-in hybrids, Japan’s four biggest car-makers are joining forces to more than triple the public charging infrastructure across the country.
Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi have entered the deal to redress the shortage of charge facilities blamed for slowing sales of low- and zero-emission vehicles.
The four have agreed to shoulder part of the cost of a rapid network expansion that will see the number of fast-charge stations in Japan grow from the current 1700 to about 5700, with normal stations expanding from 3000 to about 11,000 nationwide.
No timeframe has yet been publicly specified for the project, but the Japanese government has expressed its intention to see EVs and plug-ins claiming 15 to 20 per cent of the nation’s new car market by 2020.
It’s putting its money where its mouth is, too, offering the car-makers and existing charge network providers subsidies amounting to about 100.5 billion yen ($1.15 billion) for FY13. To help hurry things along, the government is making the subsidies available only for a limited time.
To date, the rollout of charging networks has been cruelled by lack of coordination. The car-makers have already invested in several providers, but they and others have to date gone it alone.
It’s hoped that the collaboration will help streamline the rollout and make charging easier, more convenient and therefore more attractive to car buyers.
To that end, the partners are looking at issues like payment, for example opening up and unifying the network, allowing customers to pay with any card formerly restricted to single providers.
Normal and fast-charge facilities will be distributed according to the likely duration of a customer’s stay. Although it’s not a hard-and-fast formula, this means private houses will generally get normal low-voltage systems suitable for overnight charging.
High-street and shopping mall car parks will make do with normal systems, too, allowing sufficient charge for the commute home. Roadside stops will get fast-charge units.
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Written byJeremy Bass
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