Kaluza and Mitsubishi launch Japanese smart charging services

Kaluza, through their August-announced partnership with Mitsubishi Motors, have launched a new smart charging EV service in Japan, designed to optimise charging for the cheapest and greenest times of the day.

The partners are calling the service a first-of-its-kind in Japan.

Kaluza will connect directly to the Mitsubishi Motors Outlander plug-in hybrid vehicle via telematics, removing the need for separate smart charging hardware. By analysing real-time market signals, the system intelligently manages charging when costs and carbon emissions are lowest while ensuring customer preferences are met.

The programme marks the first commercial proposition launch enabled by Kaluza Japan – a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Kaluza – to deliver Kaluza’s leading energy software platform to energy retailers and auto companies in the Japanese market.

Drivers will be able to see the rewards of smart charging directly through their Mitsubishi Motors smart charging app. The service will be made available through subscriptions to EV smart-charging plans for households, courtesy of MC Retail Energy (MCRE), another partner on the programme.

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Commenting in a release was Jonathan Levy, managing director of Japan and US, Kaluza: “Automakers around the world are stepping up to accelerate EV adoption while energy companies are seeking new ways to make the energy transition seamless and affordable for their customers

“Our partnership with Mitsubishi Motors and MCRE is another example of how Kaluza has partnered with household car brands and global energy players to develop EV propositions that create value for customers, energy systems and the planet. We’re delighted to be launching this latest offering in Japan through a tight-knit collaboration with partners equally committed to fast-tracking the country’s transition to a sustainable future.”

Added Masanori Kohama, MC Division COO, Utility Retail Division, Power Solution Group: “In Japan today, renewable energy is becoming more a part of our energy mix toward the realisation of a carbon-neutral society. Optimising EV charging plays an important role in absorbing fluctuations in renewable energy generation and stabilising the supply-demand balance in the grid.

“The optimised charging service we have first commercialised in Japan encourages PHEV owners to contribute to carbon neutrality without hassles, and we are pleased to realise this innovative approach through collaboration with Kaluza, Mitsubishi Motors and MC Retail Energy.”

This is Kaluza’s latest EV charging programme to launch globally, building on the success of Charge Anytime in the UK which the company says saved customers over £10 million ($13.1 million) and nearly 600 tonnes of CO2.