Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe Create Unified EV Charging System

Following on from my previous post about solving the problem of EV charging at apartment (apa-to in Japanese) and condominium (manshon in Japanese) buildings, there is this story which tackles the issue of what happens if you need to recharge your electric vehicle when you are away from home.

The Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolis has a population of about 15 million people (over 10% of Japan’s population), so the fact that these cities are getting together to create a unified electric vehicle recharging point network will greatly reduce the barriers to the acceptance of electric cars in these cities. According to the Osaka administration, this is the first time that an EV recharging card system has been created that allows users to recharge their cars in several different cities. Drivers can even reserve a place at a recharging station in advance using their mobile phones.

A unified network of EV charging stations is a vital part of the infrastructure required to accelerate the acceptance of these new kinds of car. That three major cities have come together to get behind such a scheme is a great start, but extending this to a nationwide level has to be a high priority for manufactures, equipment suppliers and users.

(Source: Nikkei – Japanese language)