Japan, Automakers Go All In on Massive EV Charging Plan

[kristopher]

Japan, Automakers Go All In on Massive EV Charging Plan

Japan puts up over $1 billion in subsidies for installation of EV charging facilities, and Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors collaborate to get it done.


EARTHTECHLING, NINO MARCHETTI: AUGUST 1, 2013

Japan’s automotive industry is very competitive, but there’s always room for cooperation. Especially when it comes to green vehicle development.

With this in mind, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi Motors announced today they all plan to work together to promote the massive installation of more electric vehicle chargers, including building out “a charging network service that offers more convenience to drivers.”

Currently there are around 1,700 fast and 3,000 regular chargers in Japan, which is said to be an insufficient number. This, coupled with “lack of sufficient coordination among existing charging providers,” is said to be a hinderance to the development of this growing industry. To improve upon all of this, and increase the number of normal chargers by 8,000 and quick chargers by 4,000, the national government has announced subsidies for installation of charging facilities totaling 100.5 billion yen as part of its economic policy for fiscal year 2013 to quickly develop the charging infrastructure and expand the use of electric-powered vehicles using alternative energy sources. Currently, each prefecture in Japan is drawing up a vision for the use of the subsidies. With this strong support, the four automakers will work together to install the chargers. Previously, each automaker assessed possible locations for charging facilities on their own. Now, they have agreed to work jointly under the common understanding that the charging infrastructure has public value and that enhancing it should be done quickly during the limited period that the subsidies are available.

100.5 billion yen, or $1.025 billion American, is a staggering amount of money to put towards development of a national charging infrastructure plan for Japan. It is being done though in “recognition of the critical need to swiftly develop charging infrastructure facilities to promote the use of electric-powered vehicles.”

The four automakers will pick up...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/japan-automakers-go-all-in-on-massive-ev-charging-plan?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily

[tinrobot]

1. We need that here...

A network of fast charging stations between major cities would help promote EV use.

We already have incentives for buying electric cars, but without fast charging infrastructure, the cars are limited in range. A healthy network of chargers would address this and spur sales.