Imagine being able to charge your electric car as often as you want for less than $20 a month. That's exactly what one innovative company in Japan is now offering to help expedite the country's transition to clean electric vehicles, according to Electrek.
Energy technology company Enechange recently launched an unlimited EV charging subscription called "Enechange Passport." For just 2,980 yen (about $19, as of mid-June) per month, drivers can juice up at over 1,800 Level 2 charging stations across Japan without limits between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Japan is aiming for 100% of new car sales to be electric by 2035, but EV adoption has been slow so far, with the current sales ratio under 4%, as Enechange and Electrek noted. A big reason? Most Japanese drivers live in apartments or condos without easy access to at-home charging.
"The difficulty of installing charging ports in multi-family housing, especially in urban areas, has led to delays in development," Enechange noted in a press release, based on the company's recent survey of EV and plug-in hybrid drivers.
Enechange's new subscription plan tackles this issue head-on. By making daytime charging affordable and accessible, Enechange gives urban EV drivers a convenient, cost-effective place to plug in while they're out and about living their lives.
As the company pointed out, using one of Enechange's 6-kilowatt stations for 10 hours spread over 30 days works out way cheaper than paying the 3,300 yen (around $21) it costs for a single charging session on their regular EV Charge app. As long as you're not in a mad rush, it's a total no-brainer, as Electrek noted.
But saving money is just the start. Shifting more of the charging load to daytime, when there's surplus solar power available, also helps drive Japan's transition to cleaner energy overall. That means clearer skies, fresher air, and a more stable climate for everyone.
Enechange Passport was announced in May with a start date of June 3, expanding affordable charging options in Japan.
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"[We] have set a goal to grow the ENECHANGE Passport to 100,000 subscribers as soon as possible," the company stated in its press release.
With smart innovations like this, the road ahead for cleaner cars and a cooler planet is looking brighter every day. That's a win-win solution we can all get amped up about.
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