Skip to main content

Japan to trial EV service for elderly people

The government of Japan is to introduce a low-speed electric vehicle (EV) service for elderly people travelling to shopping destinations and hospitals. A report by The Japan News says trial will comprise 10 small EVs called ‘Green Slow Mobility’. Each vehicle will be able to carry up to 10 passengers at a speed of less than 20kph. The Environment Ministry and Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry is hoping the trial will provide an understanding on how to set prices for rides. Munic
July 26, 2019 Read time: 1 min

The government of Japan is to introduce a low-speed electric vehicle (EV) service for elderly people travelling to shopping destinations and hospitals.

A report by The Japan News says trial will comprise 10 small EVs called ‘Green Slow Mobility’. Each vehicle will be able to carry up to 10 passengers at a speed of less than 20kph.

The Environment Ministry and Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry is hoping the trial will provide an understanding on how to set prices for rides.

Municipalities can trial the vehicles for free. Some communities are thinking about using artificial intelligence to help determine the optimal route for multiple bookings.

The trial sites will be in cities such as Kawachinagano (Osaka Prefecture), Oda (Shimane Prefecture) and Onomichi (Hiroshima Prefecture).

UTC

Related Content

  • September 8, 2014
    ITS Japan discusses World Congress legacies
    It is often overlooked that the end of an ITS World Congress can be a dynamic beginning and the legacy can be far-reaching. Hajime Amano, President and CEO of ITS Japan explains how each time the country has hosted an ITS World Congress it has brought about major new national initiatives
  • September 30, 2019
    Via Mobility Japan trials ride-hailing for Itochu
    Via Mobility Japan is providing a free ride-sharing service for employees living within a seven-mile zone of Itochu’s HQ in the capital, Tokyo. General trading company Itochu is hoping the BlueVia service will reduce transportation costs and allow employees to dedicate journey time to work. The Via subsidiary says the service comprises regular sedans that can carry four employees, and vans which can fit up to six people. Passengers can use the BlueVia app to request a ride to Itochu within the operating
  • November 23, 2017
    Mobility pricing offers new tools for managing mobility
    Mobility pricing is the best way of sustaining and enhancing mobility, argues Moving Forward Consulting’s Josef Czako. Mobility pricing (MP) is effectively the culmination of the ‘user pays’ principle and has been referred to in many policy discussions about electronic toll collection, road user charging (RUC), and pricing. MP not only reflects the ‘use more, pay more’ nature of RUC, it also takes account of the external cost of journeys including pollution, noise, the cost of congestion and accidents.
  • June 13, 2017
    Transport integration separates rural idyll from remote isolation
    David Crawford investigates the operation of Total Transport in some of Europe’s more rural areas. Total Transport is a concept that is gaining traction in Europe as a means of making it easier for people without access to a car and living in rural and remote communities, to travel to work, the shops, schools and hospitals. It involves maximising vehicle availability and integrating scheduled services with other transport services (including taxis) commissioned or contracted by more than one local governmen