News
First in Japan EV Charging Stations with Advance Reservations Now Available at Commercial Facilities
Solving the problem of “Urban dwellers great concern; lack of EV charging spot.” by improving the convenience of basic charging outside the home
Service for EV users to start in October 2022
PLUGO Inc. (Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Representative Director & CEO: Mr. Naoki Okawa), a provider of EV charging services, aims to solve the problem of people are unable to fully charge their basic batteries at home in their daily lives. The company will introduce EV charging stations that can be reserved in advance, mainly at commercial facilities in urban areas, and begin providing the service in October 2022.
Along with this, we have started offering the “PLUGO RAPID” DC charger. Together with the existing “PLUGO BAR” AC chargers, the EV charging infrastructure will be improved, and the smartphone application “My PLUGO” will be launched to provide a comprehensive EV charging experience.
PLUGO Overview of New EV Charging Station
Start offering DC charger “PLUGO RAPID”
Through the product rollout of regular/DC chargers, charging equipment are installed according to the facility. “PLUGO RAPID” is easy to integrate into daily life routines and allows for quick charging outside the home.
Full-scale launch of smartphone app “My PLUGO” that allows users to use EV charging experiences all at once
All-in-one service from searching for charging stations, checking/notifying availability, making reservations in advance, and settling payments.
“Coupons” and “Special Services” at facilities are also provided for use during charging time.
By being able to make a reservation in advance, it is possible to reliably charge while prioritizing your own convenience, and to be able to “charge while doing” errands such as shopping and hobbies.
By improving the convenience and reliability of basic charging outside the home, we aim to solve the problem of ” Urban dwellers great concern; lack of EV charging spot”.
Currently, 40% of EV owners in Tokyo are unable to charge their vehicles at home due to housing conditions and other reasons. In order to encourage a shift to EV from the user’s perspective, it is important to create an environment that allows for reliable recharging in the routine of daily life.
PLUGO has decided to launch this service in order to solve the issue of developing charging locations that EV users can use reliably and conveniently, like basic charging at home, regardless of whether or not they have charging facilities at home.
Development Background
According to our own survey conducted in 2022, 40% of electric vehicle owners in Tokyo are not able to charge their vehicles at home due to housing conditions. ※1 In detached house, there are hurdles in terms of installation of chargers on the premises and construction costs, and in apartment complexes, it is not possible to decide on the installation of chargers on one’s own. Even when they are installed, the current situation is highlighted by the fact that the number is very small.
EV users who do not have charging facilities at home use nearby charging stations on a daily basis. However, many users have experienced that they were unable to charge their vehicles because other vehicles were in use, so they are not guaranteed a reliable opportunity to recharge their vehicles.
Even when they have a charger at home, they choose to go out to places where there is a charger, and other behaviors that differ from gasoline car use are created by charging. More than half of EV users used not only basic charging at home, but also used charging spots within their living area. In short, it highlights the importance of integrating charging into the daily routine for the convenience of all EV users.
Currently, many people are aware that “people in apartment house where basic charging at home is difficult cannot afford EV. However, if the understanding that “all people can purchase EV as long as there is a charging station that can be used reliably in their daily routines” becomes widespread, it will promote the purchase of EV by residents of apartment house. PLUGO believes that this will also solve the charging problems of existing users.
*1 Conducted on August 19 – 31, 2022, Web-based survey, n=76 (Tokyo EV user)
About the chargers provided by PLUGO
In addition to the AC charger “PLUGO BAR”, PLUGO will offer the DC charger “PLUGO RAPID” to provide charging facilities in the right place at the right time according to the location and characteristics of the facility and the lifestyle of the users.
“PLUGO RAPID” is set for 60 minutes of continuous use, and is being installed in supermarkets, convenience stores, gyms, and other locations where people spend relatively short periods of time. For EV users who are unable to charge at home, we will develop a system that can be integrated into their daily routines and used on a daily basis.
Planned facilities
PLUGO is the only company in Japan to offer charging stations that can be reserved and used at commercial facilities. Since March 2022, PLUGO has been conducting a demonstration test of an advance reservation system for EV charging at Futako Tamagawa RISE, a commercial complex directly connected to Futako Tamagawa Station. Reflecting the needs and trends of users obtained in the process, we have now started full-scale operations to introduce EV charging services to commercial facilities.
Currently, we are working with a number of companies to install these stations. In the future, we plan to collaborate with each store to provide “coupons” and “special services” that can be used during charging time.
Smartphone app “My PLUGO”
PLUGO All-in-one service from searching for charging stations, checking/notifying availability, making reservations in advance, and settling payments. The system allows users to reserve a commercial charging station 60 minutes in advance so that they can secure a charging station before they leave, and has the ability to receive notifications when other vehicles using the charging station leave the area.
Future Goals
By 2025, we aim to have 1,000 locations, mainly in urban areas throughout Japan.
PLUGO Inc. company’s outline
Location: NMF Takanawa Building 8F, 2-20-4 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0022, Japan
Representative: Representative Director & CEO Mr. Naoki Okawa
URL：https://plugo.co.jp/