Yokohama-based 3DOM, a university-led
venture set up in 2014 to develop separators for batteries, said it would offer
the carbon neutral EV service through subscription or lease so that users could
avoid high purchase costs.
Companies are under increasing pressure
from investors and the public to reduce their carbon footprint, and Chinese
automakers have led the way in Japan through their relatively low-cost battery
electric vehicles.
Leading Japanese delivery firm Sagawa
Express plans to start replacing all 7,200 of its commercial mini-vehicles with
EVs supplied by Guangxi Automobile Group this year. Another firm, SBS Holdings,
has plans to use electric trucks produced by Dongfeng Motor group.
3DOM said the electricity that would power
Geely's light commercial van would be produced from wind power and other green
sources in partnership with utilities. The running cost for the service to
lease the vans would be on a par with a gasoline-powered fleet, it said.
3DOM said the fleet would comprise about
7,500 vehicles and several companies including delivery services and
supermarket operators were considering its service. It did not elaborate.
Among Japanese automakers, Mitsubishi
provides EVs for the postal service, while Toyota has a trial service with
convenience store operators to use its fuel-cell hydrogen-electric vehicles. ©
Reuters