NTT DATA Participates in Trial Project to Create Environment Conducive to Electric Vehicles- Examines Schemes for Encouraging Establishment of Recharging Infrastructure -

NTT DATA Corporation will participate in a 2009 trial project organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE), to create an environment conducive to electric vehicles. The company will examine effectiveness of certification, charging and payment schemes for joint use of recharging facilities privately owned by multiple enterprises or local governments. The study is scheduled to run from early September 2009 to late March 2010, and will be conducted in cooperation with several companies and local bodies. NTT DATA aims to use the study findings to help create social infrastructure through IT to provide safe and convenient recharging facilities for corporate and private users of electric vehicles.

ANRE Trial Project

The Action Plan for Achieving a Low-carbon Society approved by the Cabinet in July 2008 set a target of half of all new automobiles sold in 2020 being electric or other next-generation vehicles. However, greater use of electric vehicles will require service stations and other recharging infrastructure, which is still under-developed. ANRE is therefore working to establish an environment conducive to the spread of electric vehicles. As part of these efforts the agency invited firms to participate in this trial project, and 10 projects were selected including the NTT DATA project.

Outline of NTT DATA Project

1. Social background
   More widespread use of electric vehicles will require the establishment of recharging infrastructure. Some companies and local governments are currently installing recharging facilities at their own expense. However, since the introduction of such equipment entails high costs and no mechanisms exist for organizations to use each other's facilities, the environment is not conducive to setting up recharging infrastructure. In order to encourage the use of electric vehicles, open access to individual recharging facilities is required to create the appropriate infrastructure.
2. Details of the project
   The NTT DATA project aims to identify requirements for forming recharging infrastructure from such individual facilities. Specifically, through a recharging service center established by NTT DATA, the project will examine efficient mechanisms, including certification, charging and payment methods that enable multiple organizations to use each other's recharging facilities, ways of preventing unauthorized use, and schemes for opening up corporate or local government facilities to private users. Several companies have agreed to cooperate in the trial and will lend their recharging facilities and electric vehicles.
3. Period (tentative)
   Early September 2009 to late March 2010
4. Locations (tentative)
   Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, etc.
5. Partners
   Several companies and local governments

* IC reader/writer

Future Developments

Environmentally responsible management is a priority in the NTT DATA medium-term management plan for FY2009-2013 and the NTT DATA Group aims to reduce the environmental load its activities place on society as a whole. The expertise and know-how gained from this trial project will be used to help achieve a low-carbon society by building social infrastructure to provide safe and convenient recharging facilities for corporate and private users of electric vehicles.
NTT DATA will continue to recruit companies and local governments to participate in this trial project.

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