As a pioneer of zero-emission vehicles, Nissan has been working to reduce CO2 emissions and create environmental and social value through the commercialization of electrification and autonomous driving technologies.
Nissan began a field test of new mobility services today as part of a partnership to promote future community building in Japan.
The partnership agreement between three local governments and eight companies aims to develop new modes of transportation, and to promote the use of renewable energy, in the Hamadori area of Fukushima Prefecture.
The field operation tests are aimed at assessing receptiveness among residents and visitors to the community. The tests include operation of an EV shuttle service that runs in a loop around the central district of Namie town at a high frequency, using roadside stations as mobility hubs.
The hubs connect to other vehicles, including personal vehicles, which serve as “spokes” and are used for travel to nearby areas.
The service supports both passenger and cargo transport.
It includes home delivery of packages using “spoke” vehicle such as EV taxis and utilizing Japan Post vehicles for efficient delivery, as well as roadside station pickup of purchases from supermarkets.
The tests also include running an autonomous vehicle on a route around central Namie.
The company’s Blue Switch program promotes the use of electric vehicles to address issues related to disaster prevention, energy management, climate change and population declines in Japan.
Overseas, Nissan has participated in research and the development of mobility services using automated driving technology in places such as London and China.
Nissan’s involvement in the project is part of the company’s vision of enriching people’s lives and its global efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Reference- Nissan Online Showroom, InsideEVs, Clean Technica, The Driven, Electrek