Mitsubishi to Test Battery Exchange System for Electric Vehicles like Trucks and Buses
In a significant step towards the electrification of commercial vehicles, Tokyo is set to launch a multi-year trial of a battery swapping program starting in September 2023. The initiative, supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, will feature over 150 battery-swappable electric commercial vehicles and 14 modular battery swap stations.
Key Details:
The trial will involve Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation’s (MFTBC) eCanter light-duty truck and Mitsubishi Motors’ Minicab EV, both capable of battery swapping. The swapping technology will be provided by the US-based startup Ample, which offers an automated battery swapping process that can fully charge a vehicle in under five minutes without drivers needing to exit their vehicles.
The compact, quickly deployable (in under a week) battery swap stations are powered by renewable energy and are designed with potential future capabilities to offer grid services like storing renewable energy or providing backup power. The pilot scope targets last-mile commercial delivery fleets in Tokyo, with Yamato Transport, Japan’s largest shipping and logistics group, as the first major customer.
Background:
This Tokyo program expands on a smaller 2024 pilot in Kyoto involving commercial delivery and swapping taxis. It represents Japan’s first large-scale EV battery swapping initiative tailored for commercial fleets and acknowledges Tokyo’s dense urban environment and established commercial electric fleets as ideal for this infrastructure.
Partners:
The collaboration includes Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Californian battery technology company Ample, and Yamato Transport. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government provides financial support through its Technology Development Support Project for Promoting New Energy, aligning with Japan’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Joshua S. Hill, a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years, has been reporting on this development for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. Interestingly, Joshua's preferred mode of transport is his feet.
[1] Ample. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ample.com/ [2] Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mitsubishi-fuso.com/ [3] Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/ [4] Yamato Transport. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yamato-transport.co.jp/en/
In this initiative, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation's eCanter light-duty truck and Mitsubishi Motors' Minicab EV, both compatible with electric-vehicles, will be utilized in Tokyo's battery swapping trial for last-mile commercial delivery fleets, driven by technology provided by US-based startup Ample. This program, part of Tokyo's Technology Development Support Project for Promoting New Energy, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Japan's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
