Japan appears to be at the forefront of the green vehicle revolution in the 21st century. From EV charge points in apartments to electric bikes, Japanese cities and firms are making efforts to eliminate dependency on fossil fuels. The Green Crossover Project is the next step toward greener transportation in Japan. This three-year collaboration by more than 15 Japanese companies and government agencies will take place in Tsukuba City. Japanese firms and government agencies will test the viability of smart charging, storage and EV recharging in the real world.
The Green Crossover Project would not be possible without three reconfigured Mazda Deimos. These diminutive cars will be used by project partners to assess the day-to-day performance of EV infrastructure in Tsukuba City. Mazda worked with Indiana-based EnerDel to outfit the Deimos with a 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This battery pack has already been tested in the real world as the power source for the THINK City EV. Tokyo R&D Co. is also integral to the project by modifying the Mazda Deimos so drivers can access public EV charge points.
Another essential aspect of the Green Crossover Project is a sufficient saturation of EV charge points in Tsukuba City. Kyuki and JEF Engineering Corporation worked with other project partners to develop rapid charging systems for EV drivers. A major player in the Green Crossover Project is FamilyMart, a Japanese convenience store with more than 7,000 locations nationwide. FamilyMart will feature public charge points where users can recharge, swap out batteries and monitor their charges remotely while shopping. This convenience chain will use solar power generators as the primary source of electricity for EV drivers. Wind Car Inc. is going to work with FamilyMart to make additional EVs available as part of a car sharing program.
The efforts of these corporate partners were coordinated by government agencies and research firms. Officials in Tsukuba City are consulting with the Japan Automobile Research Institute and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. These consultations will include reviews of charge times, charge point usage and other metrics to determine future investments in EV infrastructure. Over the next three years, we will likely see yet another successful test of green vehicles in Japan. With this initial infrastructure in place, Tsukuba City could be a leader in a global evolution toward electric vehicles.
