Accelerating the uptake of commercial EVs and decarbonizing the transport sector
Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (President: Kenji Yabuta, hereinafter referred to as MRI), in collaboration with Daihen Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President and CEO: Shoichiro Minomo) and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (Headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President and CEO: Karl Deppen), has been selected as the implementing entity for the Ministry of the Environment’s advanced system social implementation promotion project aimed at decarbonizing the transportation sector. Through this project, MRI will conduct a demonstration of wireless charging for commercial electric vehicles (hereinafter EVs) while parked and will support social implementation by publishing a reference guideline for users of commercial EVs.
1. Background
EV wireless charging is a technology that makes efficient use of the space and time when commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, and taxis stop during business hours. It is expected to contribute to maximizing the use of renewable energy and improving the power supply and demand balance, as well as accelerating the spread of EVs by improving their convenience. However, in order to implement EV wireless charging in society, various studies must be conducted to further improve convenience in collaboration with automobile manufacturers, publish introduction guidelines, create an environment that is easy for users to introduce, and demonstrate the benefits to users. need to be addressed. To date, MRI has been engaged in research and consulting for demonstration, institutionalization, and implementation support in order to realize the social implementation of EV wireless charging that contributes to carbon neutrality.
2. Overview of this project
As a three-year project starting in 2024, we will work on the following four implementation items and aim to publish the introduction guidelines in 2026.
(1) Development of vehicle installation technology and installation verification We will develop functions to further improve the convenience of EV wireless charging, evaluate vehicles in collaboration with automakers, and consider ways to reduce costs.
(2) Model verification Targeting businesses that use commercial vehicles with different characteristics (approximately 10 nationwide), we will demonstrate countermeasures for the challenges that each business needs to overcome in order to introduce EV wireless charging in the actual business environment.
(3) Creation of introduction guidelines We will hold a review meeting consisting of experts from the implementation side and the manufacturer side, and will organize the requirements for EV wireless charging components suitable for commercial vehicles, system installation procedures, and quantitative implementation benefits that have been revealed through the demonstration. We will publish this as an implementation guideline that businesses looking to use EV wireless charging can refer to.
(4) Research and analysis for social implementation We will conduct research and analysis and coordinate with automakers and various ministries and agencies to create the environment necessary to ensure the reliability of EV wireless charging technology.
Source: Mitsubishi Research Institute and Daihen
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3. Role of each company in this project
In order to realize the social implementation of EV wireless charging that contributes to carbon neutrality, MRI will hold a study group consisting of experts and will formulate implementation guidelines that indicate the system implementation procedure and benefits for users. Through model verification, we will also promote the calculation of cost benefits and decarbonization effects during the implementation phase, as well as the construction of business models for social implementation. DAIHEN Co., Ltd. will develop an EV wireless charging product that combines high output of up to 30kW, convenience, and safety, and will install it on commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, and taxis. We will then conduct demonstrations at each business operator that uses commercial vehicles and conduct verification to improve the
convenience of EV wireless charging. At the same time, we will work on various considerations such as further improving convenience in collaboration with automobile manufacturers. Furthermore, we plan to collaborate with other automakers to install wireless charging on EV buses and demonstrate it to commercial businesses. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Daihen, will consider installing wireless charging on the eCanter small EV truck and will conduct verification of availability and other aspects.
4. Future plans
The implementation guidelines for commercial vehicles that will be developed during this project (over three years) are expected to lead to the social implementation of EV wireless charging, and the aim is to accelerate the spread of EVs through the social implementation of EV wireless charging. *This technology uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to automatically transmit power between the ground-side coil and the coil attached to the EV while the EV is stopped. In the future, bidirectional power transmission for charging and discharging will also be possible.