Sumitomo : Starting a Demonstration Experiment on Inter-Business EV Car Sharing Service

The following four companies started a demonstration experiment on inter-business EV car sharing and EV-based energy management: Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer: Masayuki Hyodo), Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City; President and Chief Executive Officer: Kazuyuki Takahashi; hereinafter, 'Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu'), NIPPON GAS Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-cho, Kagoshima City; Representative Director and President: Sadatoshi Tsumagari; hereinafter, 'NIPPON GAS'), and REXEV Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Chief Executive Officer: Ken Watanabe; hereinafter, 'REXEV'). This demonstration experiment (hereinafter, 'the Initiative') was conducted in the parking space on the premises of NIPPON GAS's head office.

Outline of the Initiative

1. Background and purpose
   Against the backdrop of a decrease in the use of company-owned cars due to the impact of COVID-19, changes are being made to companies' mobility needs. Also, due to a rise in people's environmental awareness, the number of companies that are considering the use of EVs and renewable energy is also increasing. However, there are concerns and challenges about the introduction cost and the cruising distance of EVs.
   In response, Sumitomo Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu, NIPPON GAS and REXEV decided to conduct a demonstration experiment for the development of a new 'e-MaaS for Business'^Note service model, which will combine the 'use of company-owned cars' with the 'sharing of EVs among companies' to help companies make optimal use of their cars in an environment-friendly manner.
2. Period
   Mon., March 1, 2021 to Mon., February 28, 2022 (Planned)
3. Place
   Parking space on the premises of NIPPON GAS's head office (Chuo-cho, Kagoshima City)
4. Verification details
   
   1. Management of inter-business EV car sharing in a semi-closed manner
      During weekday working hours (8:30 to 17:30), multiple companies will share two EVs and during other hours and on holidays, their employees, local inhabitants and also tourists will make shared use of the EVs. Through this experiment, the business feasibility and convenience of inter-business car sharing will be verified along with the demand trends. For the EVs, the scope of use will be expanded gradually during the demonstration period.
   2. Energy management
      For the verification of the possibility of using EVs as an energy management resource, the EVs will be used as supplementary power sources for peak cut and as emergency backup for blackouts during the hours while they are not shared by drivers. Also, solar panels will be installed to verify the usability of renewable energy-sourced electricity and the contributions made by EVs to the environment (based on the amount of the renewable solar energy-sourced electricity charged to the vehicles and the amount of CO2 emissions reduced by their use).
   3. 'Beyond Mobility'
      The car (EV) sharing service will be combined with services other than mobility services with an eye to providing local communities and users with even more convenient and attractive new services, thereby delivering new value to them.
5. Roles played by the four companies
   

   Sumitomo Corporation	Plan and manage the Initiative, and consider 'Beyond Mobility'
   Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu	Provide the car (EV) sharing service
   NIPPON GAS	Provide the venue for the experiment and renewable energy equipment, and verify the energy management
   REXEV	Provide a car (EV) sharing and energy management system

(Note)'e-MaaS for Business'
Due to the promotion of telecommuting in the face of the COVID-19 crisis and workstyle reforms, the frequency that company-owned cars are used has been decreasing. In response, many companies are considering reducing the number of cars owned by themselves and shift to a pay-as-you-drive system to reduce the fixed costs. In order to meet the needs of these companies, the Sumitomo Corporation Group is working to develop a 'MaaS for Business' service to provide customers with the optimal option from among a range of mobility options.
Moreover, by adding an EV-based energy management service to the aforementioned service, the Group is aiming to develop a new 'e-MaaS for Business' service.

●About Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation is working to develop environment-friendly mobility services to contribute to improving the quality of life in local communities jointly with Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Co., Ltd., which is a Sumitomo Corporation Group company. As one of such mobility services, the aforementioned 'e-MaaS for Business' service is designed to help its corporate users reduce the number of their cars used for sales activities and promote replacement with EVs through car sharing and to foster the use of renewable energy for EV charging as well as the use of EV-stored electricity as an emergency power source. In Kyushu, in cooperation with Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu, Sumitomo Corporation is also conducting a demonstration experiment on 'Shop Mobility' to propose a new lifestyle and a new form of urban development by combining a mobility service with e-commerce and the real property business. Furthermore, the company launched a demonstration experiment on 'home medication' to provide people with remote medical services and deliver prescriptions to the patients by combining mobility, cable TV and healthcare services.
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp

● About Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu
Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation and as a Kyushu-rooted company that would achieve growth with the development of Kyushu. In order to meet the needs of customers living in the Kyushu and Okinawa region, the company provides a range of solutions by capitalizing on the global resources of the Sumitomo Corporation Group. Also, in order to make local contributions and help the Kyushu and Okinawa region achieve economic growth, the company is working to identify and develop business seeds with high potential on a global scale based on the integrated corporate strength of the Sumitomo Corporation Group.
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/ja/jp/sc-kyushu

● About NIPPON GAS
NIPPON GAS was established in 1911 as the first city gas company in the southern part of Kyushu. This integrated energy company delivers city gas to about 150,000 households mainly located in Kagoshima City. After the full liberalization of the energy business in 2016, the company launched new services such as power supply and life support services, to be a 'glocal' company that is indispensable for local customers' daily lives.
https://www.nihongas.co.jp/

● About REXEV
REXEV Inc. is an energy-tech company that is providing new services by combining renewable energy with EVs. In the demonstration experiment, this company provides a system that combines an energy management system using the storage batteries of EVs with an EV sharing system. REXEV provides an e-mobility platform service to enable both energy and vehicle management in the car sharing service in an easy-to-introduce SaaS, with an eye to helping companies and local governments introduce EVs in a manner that is truly effective for CO2 emissions reduction.
https://rexev.co.jp/en/home-2/