Honda EV-neo Electric Bike for Newspaper Delivery in Japan

Leasing company Sumitomo Autoservice is going to be offering Honda EV-neo electric scooters to newspaper delivery personnel starting in Togodo, Nagano Prefecture.

Anyone who has spent time in Japan will be familiar with the early-morning wake-up call of the ancient, rattling Honda Cub engine as the newspaper deliver guy makes his rounds at 5 am or earlier.

Although it is one of those distinctive Japan experiences that one might look back on with nostalgia at a later date, it is something you definitely do not appreciate at the time. As someone who has had their day start much earlier than expected thanks to the buzz of the engine and clatter of the stand of one of these old clunkers, I am all for the introduction of these EV-neos throughout Japan.

So, not only is the Honda EV-neo going to be kinder on the environment by replacing an old, oil-burning ICE-powered scooter, but it is also going to create considerably less noise pollution – at a time of day when even moderate noise can be quite disruptive.

For all the hand-wringing about electric vehicles being dangerously quiet for blind people, at the same time it seems that the social benefits of reduced noise pollution are being overlooked.

Imagine how much easier it would be for kids in city schools to focus on their studies without a background of roaring traffic engines, or how much background stress levels could be reduced in the population simply due to a quieter environment?

Source: Response (Japanese)