Mitsubishi to trial ‘smart charging’ with Outlander PHEV

MANILA: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation revealed that the company is studying an electric vehicle smart charging using the all-new Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

According to the Japanese carmaker, it has launched a proof of concept (PoC) that seeks the commercial viability of the said smart charging concept. Mitsubishi aims to leverage electric vehicle (EV) connected technologies and looks to collect data to use in the future development of such a service.

“We have been working on energy management projects since the world's first mass-produced EVs and PHEVs were launched, and have been carrying out the functional verifications needed for our electrified vehicles. Through this PoC, we'll hopefully make good progress in developing a smart service that optimizes EV charging, thereby helping to lower our customers’ electricity costs and CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. By doing so, we will also be making a meaningful contribution to society's push to decarbonize,” Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Mobility Business Division General Manager Kazuaki Iwamoto stated.

Per the Tokyo-headquartered car company, the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will run charging exercises using a smartphone application and allow its owners to set the times they want their vehicles charged.

Mitsubishi is working with electric and energy companies Kaluza Ltd. and MC Retail Energy Co., Ltd. to achieve its goals.

For Kaluza’s part, it will lend its EV charging control platform. The said technology automatically optimizes charging by ensuring it takes place both before the customers’ selected charge-by times and only during hours when the energy market and other prices are lowest.

“We’re thrilled to be working with innovative partners like Mitsubishi Motors, MC Retail Energy, and MC to pioneer an EV smart-charging service in Japan. As EV adoption increases, smart charging will play a critical role in managing grid load and simplifying the customer experience. We look forward to building on our work with our partners in Japan to unlock unique EV propositions for existing and future customers and accelerate the country's net-zero targets,” noted Kaluza Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Scott Neuman.

Meanwhile, MC Retail Energy will allow future smart charging customers to subscribe to a specially designed plan, specifically developed for this service.

“For three years, our company led METI’s (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) demonstration project to leverage dynamic pricing in EV charging. We plan on applying the know-how gained from that experience to this PoC, along with our unparalleled development capabilities in EV-related products and services. Our goal is to provide customers with a new charging experience that will take advantage of unprecedented technologies to lower electricity costs. We will deliver new value to those customers by effectively leveraging surplus natural daytime power, which has been made available thanks to the increased use of solar panels,” MC Retail Energy CEO Kohei Tanaka explained.

“MC Retail Energy has a pioneering track record in the energy sector, which it has built up through initiatives like this PoC with Mitsubishi Motors, Kaluza, and MC, as well as its participation in Japan's first supply-and-demand adjustment market for new energies. We will rely on that track record as we continue to offer EV services and other next-generation energy solutions,” he added.

Overall the PoC aims to enable the three companies’ customers to lower their charging costs and create a more appealing charging environment for EV users.

“In the electric power business, MC is working to establish an electric power value chain that integrates power generation and sales, starting with renewables, in order to realize a carbon-neutral society. Considering how those clean energy options are becoming more a part of our energy mix, we believe it is effective to optimize EV/PHEV charging times by utilizing Kaluza’s system in Japan as one approach to a more stable supply-demand balance in energy,” explained Mitsubishi Corporation Division Chief Operating Officer Masanori Kohama.

“In this PoC, Mitsubishi Motors, MC Retail Energy, Kaluza, and MC will create a mechanism that combines the technologies and services of Mitsubishi Motors and MC Retail Energy by using Kaluza's technology to create a customer experience that is convenient, environmentally friendly, and economical for EV/PHEV owners. Here at MC, we will work hard to lead and promote this PoC and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society,” he concluded.

Photos from Mitsubishi USA's website and Mitsubishi Global Newsroom

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