Notwithstanding how hard Nissan tries to convince people that driving an EV won’t leave them stranded at the side of the line gagging for electricity, that pesky range anxiety issue continues to permeate discussions about electric cars. So, what else to do but strap an EV charger on roadside service vehicles? The Japan Automobile Federation is trialing just any such scheme, with a Nissan-built prototype service truck helping to top up electrified transporters which have ended up bereft of juice at an inopportune moment. The trial’s gotten its start in Kanagawa Prefecture this week, which, incidentally, happens to be using a Nissan Leaf as its governor’s official car. So, even when you do determine the way to expend your Leaf’s entire battery, you get the relief of knowing you’re riding like a governor and that the great men in orange jumpsuits should be there to attend to your problemo.
YOKOHAMA/TOKYO (June 6, 2011)–Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) today announced a joint trial operation of a roadside service vehicle equipped with a charger to help electric vehicles (EVs) which run out of battery power. The trial service commences on June 7, 2011.
Nissan is enjoying a technology development project for measures to counteract global warming that was launched by Japan’s Ministry of our environment and aimed toward promoting green innovation. In response to this effort, Nissan developed a prototype roadside service vehicle equipped with a charging system for EVs which become inoperable. JAF will deploy the roadside service vehicle with the charger from its Kanagawa branch office and should apply it to a tribulation basis as a part of their service menu from fiscal year 2011. This trial project might be a valuable first step as Nissan and JAF move forward in promoting the genuine-world use of this sort of roadside vehicle, intended to create a security net and render assistance to EVs which can run out battery power, and to assist stranded motorists.
In December 2010, JAF conducted roadside assistance training for EVs using a Nissan LEAF, including towing, on the Nissan Education Center for its staff from throughout Japan. JAF also initiated related practical roadside service training across Japan using other EVs in cooperation with other automakers.
Hitoshi Kawaguchi, Nissan’s senior vice chairman of External and Governmental Affairs, said, “As EVs gain wider consumer acceptance, it is very important create a roadside assistance system which could help motorists driving EVs that have run out of battery power, in addition to to construct a charging infrastructure. Nissan is leveraging the improvement and trial operation of this roadside service vehicle with charging equipment – and the accompanying staff training – to bolster cooperation with JAF and to learn customers. This may occasionally build confidence in EV use and contribute toward achieving a society with low carbon emissions.”
Masakazu Kume, Executive Director, Japan Automobile Federation, said, “JAF have been engaged on how you can create an atmosphere where motorists can drive EVs with the reassurance that help is available and to support the adoption of environmentally-friendly EVs as portion of our social contribution activities. Our participation during this trial operation is this kind of activities. We’ve got already prepared insulated gloves and goggles for our service vehicle staff to aid EVs. We are able to actively reply to requests from EV motorists as increasingly EVs hit the street.”
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