From Fukuoka to nationwide; Launching the Taxi Electrification
-To Realize Environment Friendly Taxi Business-

 

DAIICHI KOUTSU SANGYO Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture; hereinafter "Daiichi Koutsu"), Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu Corporation Co. Ltd. (Head Office: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture) (hereinafter collectively "Sumitomo Corporation Group"), and Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; hereinafter "Kyushu Electric Power") (collectively, the "Four Companies") will launch a project to electrify taxis with electric vehicles (hereinafter "EVs") to realize environment friendly taxi business that is both environment friendly and economical. As the first step, the Four Companies will jointly introduce EV taxi in the Fukuoka area (hereinafter referred to as "the Project").

The Japanese government has set a goal to meet carbon neutrality by 2050, and according to the sectoral targets of the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures announced in October 2021, the transportation sector is required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 78 million tons by 2030 (a 35% reduction compered from 2013). In order to achieve this goal, the taxi industry is also required to introduce EVs, but EV taxis have not been widely used due to the short cruising range and long idle time due to battery charging, which lowers the utilization rates compared to the commonly used LPG vehicles In addition, the shortage of charging stations has prevented the spread of EV taxis.

The Four Companies will introduce EV taxi and a charging station at Daiichi Koutsu Island City Office (Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City) as the first step to establish and realize environment friendly taxi business. Through this operation in the Fukuoka area, the Four Companies will analyze economic efficiency such as driving distance, charging time, battery condition, and environmental impact, in order to build up an optimal charging and operation management system for EV taxis. In the near future, by introducing renewable energy sources and working to convert the reduced carbon dioxide into credits, the Four Companies aim to realize a nationwide sustainable environment friendly taxi business.

Daiichi Koutsu is aiming to introduce approximately 100 EV taxis nationwide by March 2023. The data obtained from the Project will be used to comprehensively analyze the driving distance, charging time, economic cost, and environmental impact. Based on the know-how gained through the Project. Daiichi Koutsu will overcome issues related to charging and operation management and promote the introduction of EV vehicles to taxi offices nationwide.

Sumitomo Corporation Group will utilize the knowledge acquired through its EV-related businesses, including the operation of charging facilities and battery recycling business, to establish optimal charging and operation operations and optimize the placement of charging stations. In addition, the group will consider the supply of electricity derived from renewable energy to the charging stations with the aim of realizing a carbon-neutral society.

Kyushu Electric Power will use the data obtained from this initiative to develop optimal charging and operation operations for EV taxis, to study the optimal use of electricity, and to study how to convert the reduced carbon dioxide into credits. Based on the knowledge gained from this initiative, Kyushu Electric Power will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society by promoting the electrification of the transportation sector through future efforts to convert various types of mobility to EVs.

■Spec of EV Taxi

Operating Office	Daiichi Koutsu Island City Office
Current usage of electric taxis	Newly introduced
Manufacturer	Nissan Motors
Battery Spec	62kWh  Lithium-ion battery
Cruising Range	458km (WLTC)
CO2 reduction effect  (vs. existing LPG taxi)	70％(estimated)

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