Mitsubishi Motors, MC Retail Energy, Kaluza, and Mitsubishi Corporation test smart-charging service in Japan

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, MC Retail Energy, Kaluza, and Mitsubishi Corporation have launched of a proof of concept (PoC) in EV smart charging.

Systems integration / February 19, 2024

By James Foster

Mitsubishi Motors and Kaluza began collaborating on the development of smart-charging services in February 2023. Graphic: Kaluza

This PoC will seek to verify the commercial viability of what would be Japan’s first smart-charging service leveraging EV connected technologies. The data collected during the PoC period will be applied towards the future development of such a service, the objectives of which are to lower society-wide energy costs and create a more appealing charging environment for EV users.

This PoC will provide Mitsubishi Motors’ all-new Outlander (PHEV model) users with a service that allows them to use a smartphone app to set the times they want their vehicles charged. The app-based service will connect the users’ home charging stations to Kaluza’s EV charging-control platform, which automatically optimises charging by ensuring it takes place both prior to the customers’ selected charge-by times and only during hours when energy-market and other prices are lowest.

During the PoC period, customers will subscribe to a charging plan that has been specially developed by MC Retail Energy exclusively for this service. It will enable them to lower their charging costs in accordance with data collected by the control system. Furthermore, because this service will make it possible to directly control EV charging from Kaluza’s platform via Mitsubishi Motors’ connected systems, it does not require any communications-capable (smart) charging devices or other additional equipment.

Mitsubishi Motors and Kaluza began collaborating on the development of smart-charging services in February 2023, since then they have made progress on a charging-control system that takes advantage of EV connected technologies. Together with OVO Energy, Kaluza has been providing EV customers with a similar smart-charging service in the UK since March, 2023.

MC Retail Energy is a trailblazer in power-generation plans for EVs, having played a leading role in the EV dynamic-pricing demonstration project launched by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and partnering with companies in the automotive, energy and communications sectors to build up know-how in EV charging.