2023.09.01
On September 1 (Fri.), 2023, Taiyo Oil started offering an electric vehicle (EV) carsharing service within Ehime Prefecture for corporations and local governments called “SOLATO Carshare.” This service is serving as an EV-sharing demonstration experiment that makes use of off-grid solar carports regarding which the company’s Shikoku Operations is currently carrying out demonstration experiments.
Taiyo Oil has been strengthening initiatives aimed at creating next-generation businesses aimed at reducing environmental impact, and low carbonization rooted in local communities, and by continuing to do so, the company shall contribute to regional energy infrastructure and promote the realization of new mobility societies.
What is SOLATO Carshare?
This is a carsharing service in which vehicles run on solar power. EVs run entirely on carbon-free electricity that has been generated with off-grid solar carports.
Taiyo Oil has concluded a memorandum of understanding (dated December 2, 2022) with REXEV Co., Ltd.*1 concerning an EV carsharing app service, and REXEV Co., Ltd. has developed an EV carsharing system specifically for SOLATO, and an online & smartphone app for users.
What are off-grid solar carports?
The stations of SOLATO Carshare have been jointly produced with Edakin Co., Ltd.*2 and are completely independent from the power grid so are “off-grid.” Thus, they enable EVs to run with environmentally friendly carbon-free electricity. Furthermore, the stations are equipped with 100V outlets so can additionally be used for applications such as charging smartphones during disasters.
As such, it is expected that it will be possible to use the off-grid solar carports to supply power to EVs during ordinary times, and to provide regional emergency power during disasters.
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Icon of app
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Off-grid solar carport
Future developments
Going forward, Taiyo Oil will carry out a series of SOLATO Carshare demonstration experiments within Ehime Prefecture together with corporations and local governments, and thus will contribute to regional energy infrastructure and promote the realization of new mobility societies.
*1 REXEV Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 1-9-5 Kanda Awajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
President and Chief Executive Officer / Co-founder Ken Watanabe
Website URL: https://rexev.co.jp/
This company has set forth a vision of realizing sustainable social infrastructure that enables all people to move with zero marginal cost, and it is aiming to popularize e-mobility that makes maximal use of locally-produced renewable energy.
*2 Edakin Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 4-32-1 Tsurumichuo, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Representative Director & President Hirotada Eda
Website URL: https://edakin.co.jp/
This company has set forth the vision of giving shape to what customers want by manufacturing made-to-order signs (signboards) at its factories. Its products range from one-off items to mass-produced items, and these are used not only for service stations, but also convenience stores, traffic signs, and so on.