As Japan looks to make all new passenger vehicle sales 100% electric by 2035, local companies are pulling demand levers to help expedite the process. One of those companies is ENECHANGE, which has just introduced a new unlimited flat-rate EV charging subscription that will be available to drivers throughout Japan.
While the Japanese government has ambitious goals for electrification over the next decade, EV adoption in the region still lags behind much of the rest of the world. Local automakers like Toyota are still hellbent on selling hybrids well into 2030 and beyond.
As a result, the current sales ratio of new EV and PHEV sales sits below 4% in Japan. A huge inhibitor to adoption is the residential circumstances of Japanese drivers, many of which live in larger multi-dwelling units without home access to EV charging.
To combat this, companies have bolstered public charging piles in Japan, including ENECHANGE Ltd., which has been developing charging infrastructure in the country for the past three years. To help the government of Japan reach its 2035 target and entice more local drivers to go all-electric, ENECHANGE has introduced a new flat-rate subscription that will offer unlimited charging sessions at certain times a day.
ENECHANGE to offer flat rate unlimited charging in Japan
The charging provider recently shared details of its new flat-rate unlimited charging subscription, “ENECHANGE Passport,” to recruit 100,000 subscribers in Japan as quickly as possible. ENECHANGE provided data studies detailing why EV adoption has lagged in Japan due to a lack of residential piles and how unlimited public charging can help:
According to a survey conducted by ENECHANGE in March 2024, 85% of EV/PHEV drivers living in multi-dwelling units (owned and rented) responded that they do not have charging facilities at home.
According to the survey, the top eight prefectures with a high percentage of respondents without access to home charging are those with a high proportion of multi-family housing such as condominiums and apartments in the total number of residences. It has become clear that the difficulty of installing charging ports in multi-family housing, especially in urban areas, has led to delays in development.
The new service costs 2,980 JPY ($19.08) per month, enabling EV and PHEV drivers in Japan to access over 1,800 Level 2 chargers without limits during designated hours. Charging will be billed at a fixed rate during daytime sessions when solar power generation increases and more surplus electricity is available.
Usage hours for unlimited flat-rate charging around Japan are 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If a driver charges outside those designated hours, the rate jumps to 55 JPY ($0.35) per 10 minutes.
ENECHANGE says its Level 2 charging ports are being installed at destinations like commercial and leisure facilities, where drivers can charge while they visit. While its piles only offer 6kW charge rates, the company points out that charging for 10 hours over the span of 30 days is still more cost-effective than paying 3,300 JPY ($21) for a single session using the ENECHANGE EV Charge app… As long as you’re not in a rush.
Unlimited charging via ENECHANGE Passport will start in Japan on June 3, 2024.
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