Japan’s multi-faceted approach to clean transport

Several Japanese OEMs - Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi - have recently established Nippon Charge Service, a new joint venture company aiming to promote the installation of chargers for EVs and help build a charging network that makes EVs more convenient for drivers in Japan. Towards the end of last year, the four OEMs announced a plan to financially assist with the installation of charging stations and began looking at potential charging station installers. For the successful applications, the OEMs, along with some government subsidies, will cover the entire cost of installation. EVs are playing a big part in driving next-generation energy policy in Japan, and the new joint venture company hopes to expand the use of EVs as well as promote the installation of chargers. The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) is supporting the new company through investment with its ‘Fund for Japanese Industrial Competitiveness’. The DBJ established this fund to enhance Japan’s competitiveness through the supply of risk money to the nation’s industries. Excluding the investment from DBJ, the planned investment is ¥80m (US$800,000). Local governments and authorities have drawn up plans for the next-generation of vehicle charging infrastructure, and the OEMs’ programme will target charging facilities that are recognised to have high public value. In key locations such as at commercial facilities, housing facilities, highway services, convenience stores, and service stations on regular roads, financial help will be available to businesses and operations to establish charging spots. So far, the building of charging stations has begun at commercial facilities, hotels, convenience stores and highways. The new stations will be asked to participate in the charging infrastructure network operated by Nippon Charge Service, which will manage the chargers and installers of the stations. The company will also provide consumers with a universally-accepted charge card, which will be operational by the end of 2014 and will allow easy access. This is a further attempt to maximise the potential of EVs. In Japan today, there is a favourable environment of government subsidies to help with charger installation, as the country pushes towards increasing the percentage of EVs on the roads. It is hoped that with this latest announcement, EVs will be more broadly accepted if there is the availability of a convenient and user-friendly infrastructure. According to data from EVObsession.com, in 2013, Japan's PHEV sales stood at 13,146, and 100% electric sales at 16,615. The two biggest sellers were the Nissan Leaf (13,021), and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (9,608). Reducing emissions This is not the first step Japan has taken recently in a bid to clean up its transport sector. Greg Archer, Clean Vehicles Programme Manager at Transport & Environment, told Automotive World, “It’s interesting to look at the Asian manufacturers. There is clearly, with the exception of Toyota, quite a number of Asian OEMs making modest progress at the moment. A group of Japanese manufacturers have recently agreed to a multi billion yen research programme to improve efficiency of combustion engines by 30% by 2020. That was significant because they are supplying vehicles that weren’t nearly efficient enough but now want to work towards that goal. However, if they’re only doing the R&D now, they’re leaving it a bit late. You should have your model plans for 2018-2020 reasonably firmed up by now.” The group of eight manufacturers – Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu, Suzuki, and Fuji Heavy Industries – are investing around ¥500m, along with a ¥500m government subsidy, to create an ICE research association. The group plans to develop new technologies for ICEs, to compete with European rivals. This will include a focus on exhaust gas treatment from diesel engines, looking at ways to reduce soot, and studying catalysts that help cut the toxic emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxide. Rachael Hogg

Japan’s multi-faceted approach to clean transport

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