The popularization of EVs is also important, but... the development of charging infrastructure is a more urgent matter!! [His Vol.609 to become a master of cars]
The spread of electric vehicles is one of Japan's challenges. With the spread of electric vehicles, it is essential to develop a charging infrastructure. If the charging infrastructure is developed and the environment becomes easier to use than it is now, it is certain that the hurdles to riding an EV will be lowered.
[Image gallery] "Charging at work" is the best!? Check the future of charging infrastructure development with images! (4 sheets)
So, this time, where and how many charging facilities for EVs are needed? Will high-performance quick chargers popular overseas also spread in Japan? Mr. Mitsuhiro Kunisawa, who owns an electric vehicle himself, explains about "development of charging infrastructure" such as.
*This article is from October 2022
Text/Mitsuhiro Kunisawa, Photography/Nissan, AdobeStock (main photo: yu_photo@AdobeStock)
First appearance: "Best Car" November 10, 2022 issue
■ Is it difficult to popularize high-performance quick chargers in Japan?
Normal charger (Haru Works@AdobeStock)
In order to achieve a 46% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, which is just seven years from now, it will be impossible to simply increase the proportion of hybrid vehicles. Widespread use of electric vehicles is a prerequisite.
If you want to use electric vehicles conveniently, you will definitely need charging facilities on the go. Even a car with an engine cannot be used without a gas station.
Needless to say, installing a charger costs much less than building a gas station. Normal charging is much cheaper and easier than a drink vending machine.
For reference, 200V normal charging, which can be done just by plugging in an outlet for several thousand yen, can charge 3kWh per hour.
If your place of work installs a regular charger, it will be 24 kWh for 8 hours. Can run over 150km.
For companies, it would be interesting if transportation costs were "free to charge at the company".
Also, if you spend tens of thousands of yen, you can install a 200V normal charger with 6 kWh per hour.
If you use it for about 40km every day, charging it for 1 hour when you go shopping is enough. In this case, there is no problem even if you do not have a charger at home!
"I'm going off the rails for a bit."
Currently, the purchase price of electricity generated by solar power generation facilities, which are more than twice that of households, is only 10 yen per kWh.
If you sell the electricity for charging electric vehicles, you can make money even if you sell it at the electric power company's electricity rate of about 40 yen. It's much cheaper than buying gasoline.
"If there is land around the shopping center, it would be interesting to sell the electricity generated there in the parking lot." In any case, normal charging can be easily increased.
"How about a quick charger?" On a global scale, it is steadily increasing.
In 2017, five years ago, the number of overseas quick chargers was about 7,000. Our country is also doing well, and it was about the same.
"How about the most recent numbers?" Looking at Japan, it is flat at 7800. It has barely grown in the last five years. On the other hand, overseas sales are steadily increasing. 42,000 in America and Europe alone.
It is said that there are already 220,000 in China, and it is safe to assume that they are being created steadily. Japan, which had been leading the way, was already overtaken.
"However, I think the quick charger is difficult."
Even securing a power supply requires equipment called a "cubicle" that pulls a large amount of power, and maintenance costs money.
That's why it won't increase, and recently there have been cases where early-type quick chargers have been removed and abolished.
On the other hand, if you want to make a profit with a quick charger, you have to set the unit price overwhelmingly higher than gasoline. People who don't know the actual situation say, "Japan should put in a high-performance quick charger!"
If you have a performance of 150 kW or 350 kW, it will no longer be possible for a practical electricity rate. Only for rich people who can ride high-performance electric vehicles costing 10 million yen.
Or rather, at least until 2050, it's cheaper to run with gasoline than using a 350kW quick charger. I think that it can only be positioned as emergency use in our country.
So, if you really want to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions, you should reconsider the fact that there are only five 200V normal chargers at Haneda Airport.
