'Charge It' Gets New Meaning as Japanese Hotel Group Plans EV Charging Network
By John O'Dell February 1, 2010
In brief:
- Renault-Nissan Alliance teaming with Japan hotel group to promote electric cars.
- 18,000 hotels targeted for EV chargers.
- Eco-friendly driving tours planned to to put EVs on the road.
Talk about combining the old and the new.
Renault and Nissan are working with a major Japanese hotel association to install electric-vehicle charging stations in thousands of traditional Japanese "Ryoken" inns and hotels.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance, founded in 1999, is working with the All Japan Ryokan Association hotel group to developing electric vehicle battery charging stations that could be used by EV-driving guests at as many as 18,000 of the hotels across Japan, Nissan said.
The car companies and the hotel group, whose members specialize in providing traditional-style Japanese lodging with tatami mats on the floors,futons for sleeping and communal soaking tubs for relaxing, also will create eco-friendly driving trips that to promote EVs by offering test drives, Nissan said.
"All Japan Ryokan Association's efforts will extend EV's driving range and expand the possibility of its usage," said Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer at Nissan. "It will also lead to better understanding of EV's eco-friendliness, superb driving performance and appeal."
Nissan and Renault have signed about 40 agreements with municipalities and companies around the world, aimed at cutting auto-generated emissions by prototyping EV use and development of a charging infrastructure.
Nissan plans to begin sales of its first EV, the Leaf, in Japan, the United States and Europe before the end of 2010. The five-seat model, is powered by lithium-ion batteries and can travel up to 100 miles on one full charge,.
Between its car makers' efforts at developing plug-in hybrids and EVs and its high population density, Japan is at the forefront of the development of electric-vehicle charging networks.
U.S.-based lithium battery maker EnerDel recently announced that it is working with Japanese conglomerate Itochu Corp. to develop the prototype of an energy-storage system for an apartment complex near Tokyo. The system, using lithium automotive batteries, would capture power from renewable energy sources such as solar panels and store it for use at night, when the solar panels weren't producing.
One purpose of the project is to demonstrate a use for advanced auto batteries once they no longer work efficiently in cars.
EnerDel also is working with Mazda Motor Corp. and Norwegian electric-vehicle maker Think to develop an electric-vehicle charging system at a Family Mart store in Japan that will operate an EV car-sharing service.
Danny King, Contributor
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