Fukuoka Prefecture, Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT), and Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) will conduct trials of a small fuel cell electric bus (FC bus) that runs on hydrogen on the BRT Hikoboshi Line , a bus rapid transit (BRT) system planned for launch around the summer of 2023.... Read more →

JFE Steel Corporation, which is expanding the electrical steel sheet capacity of its West Japan Works (Kurashiki Area) for startup targeted at the first half of the fiscal year starting in April 2024, is now planning an additional expansion targeted at a startup in the fiscal year beginning April 2026.... Read more →

Nippon Paper Industries, Sumitomo and Green Earth Institute agreed to begin trilateral consideration of the first commercial production of cellulosic bioethanol from woody biomass in Japan and its development into bio-chemical products. Bioethanol is currently attracting attention as a renewable energy source and as feedstock for biofuels such as SAF... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that in 2024, Japan will begin to extract rare earth materials for electric vehicles and hybrids from sea bottom mud in an area off Minami-Torishima Island, a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean about 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The government’s aim is to reduce the country’s... Read more →

Fukuoka Prefecture and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) have entered a partnership agreement that includes jointly implementing initiatives to expand the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles (FC mobility) for vehicles in the logistics industry, public transportation, and official government use. The aim is to advance the development of... Read more →

In Japan, JERA concluded memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) related to cooperation in transporting fuel ammonia for the Hekinan Thermal Power Plant, expected to begin commercial operation in the late 2020s. JERA is a 50-50 joint venture between TEPCO Fuel... Read more →

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and Daihatsu Motor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota, announced an MOU of Strategic Cooperation on battery supply and battery technologies to promote e-mobility in Japan. Under the agreement, CATL intends to provide stable supply of EV batteries to the electric vehicles of Daihatsu,... Read more →

Toyota Motor will join seven other leading Japanese companies—Sony Group, NEC, Toyota supplier Denso, NTT, chipmaker Kioxia Holdings, SoftBank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Grou—in working with the Japanese government in a new next-generation semiconductor venture named Rapidus. The companies are investing a combined ¥7.3 billion (US$52.2 billion) and the government... Read more →

GS Yuasa will shift its focus from hybrids to enter the market for electric-vehicle batteries as early as next year, according to a report from the Nikkei. The battery maker recently formed a department for the project, bringing in engineers from its hybrid and plug-in hybrid operations, according to the... Read more →

JERA, the largest power generation company in Japan, responsible for about 30% of Japan’s electricity, and Toyota Motor have built and deployed the first large-capacity “Sweep Energy Storage System”. The system was built using batteries reclaimed from electrified vehicles (HEV, PHEV, BEV, FCEV) and is connected to the consumer electrical... Read more →

Chevron New Energies, and Mitsui Oil Exploration (MOECO) signed a Joint Collaboration Agreement to explore the technical and commercial feasibility of advanced geothermal power generation in Japan. Building on Chevron and MOECO’s long-standing relationship, the new collaboration will study geothermal resource potential across Japan and will evaluate the effectiveness of... Read more →

Woodside Energy; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC); Marubeni Corporation; Hokuriku Electric Power Company; The Kansai Electric Power Co.; Tohoku Electric Power Co.; and Hokkaido Electric Power Co. signed a joint research agreement under which they will jointly conduct a feasibility study (Phase 2) on the establishment of... Read more →

Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) is expelling Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) in light of Hino’s misconduct concerning certification testing. An on-site inspection conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism found that Hino committed additional wrongdoings related to applications for engine emissions certification, in addition to the... Read more →

FREYR Battery, a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, has established a technology resources campus and business unit in Japan. The new business unit is the company’s first physical location in Asia and will focus on efforts to facilitate and scale-up FREYR’s testing and development of the 24M... Read more →

Yamato Transport and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) will begin studying the standardization and commercialization of replaceable and rechargeable cartridge batteries. The introduction of commercial battery electric vehicles (BEVs) poses several challenges, including recharging times that are longer than refueling times for conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles, as well... Read more →

NTT Anode Energy Corporation announced a joint research and development project to study safety measures for the mass transportation of hydrogen through existing pipeline infrastructure. The study, being performed in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and Toyota Tsusho is expected to contribute to the... Read more →

BYD Japan, the Japanese branch of China-based BYD, marked its official entry into the passenger vehicle market in Japan with the Japanese debut of three BYD models: BYD ATTO 3, BYD Dolphin, and BYD Seal. BYD ATTO 3 is slated to become the first BYD passenger vehicle sold in Japan,... Read more →

ENEOS Corporation, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Subaru Corporation, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation , and Toyota Tsusho Corporation established the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (Research Association) to study ways to optimize the process of producing fuel. It is crucial to provide diverse energy... Read more →

Isuzu Motors, Toyota Motor, Hino Motors, and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) will jointly plan and develop light-duty fuel cell (FC) electric trucks for the mass-market. The companies will also promote the introduction of FC electric trucks to the market along with their widespread use. On the road to... Read more →

Suzuki Motor, Daihatsu Motor, Toyota Motor, and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) have agreed to work towards the market introduction of mini-commercial van electric vehicles (BEVs) in FY2023. Mini-commercial vehicles cover areas accessible only to them because of their small size and are important in supporting last-mile logistics. They... Read more →

Isuzu Motors Limited, DENSO Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hino Motors, Ltd., and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) have started planning and foundational research on hydrogen engines for heavy-duty commercial vehicles with the aim of further utilizing internal combustion engines as one option to achieve carbon neutrality. On the road... Read more →

Nikkei partnered with Tokyo research company Patent Result to analyze solid-state battery patent applications submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization and another group. The study looked at applications turned in between 2000 through the end of March from 10 countries and territories. The study found that Toyota Motor is... Read more →

Toyota Motor is introducing the O-Uchi Kyuden System, a home storage battery system based on its electrified vehicle battery technology. Pre-orders for the system have started, and sales in Japan will begin in August through home builders and general construction companies. The O-Uchi Kyuden System uses electrified vehicle battery technology... Read more →

Kobe Steel will launch “Kobenable Steel” and become Japan’s first provider of low-CO2 blast furnace steel products with significantly reduced CO2 emissions during the blast furnace ironmaking process. The company plans to start selling the new products this fiscal year. Kobenable Steel is based on the KOBELCO Group’s CO2 Reduction... Read more →

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), a national research and development agency, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), have been contracted by Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), to conduct a Hydrogen Production Demonstration Project Utilizing Very High Temperature,... Read more →

DENSO Corporation and United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd. (USJC), a subsidiary of global semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), have agreed to collaborate on the production of power semiconductors at USJC’s 300mm fab in order to serve the growing demand in the automotive market. An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)... Read more →

Porsche Japan and Audi Japan are forming a Premium Charging Alliance business partnership to expand the 150kW rapid charging station network across Japan. Rapid charging stations run by both companies will be available to both Porsche and Audi owners starting 1 July 2022. The Premium Charging Alliance is a project... Read more →

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Infinium, an electrofuels company (earlier post). The agreement, which builds on MHI’s 2021 investment in Infinium (earlier post), will focus on exploring the deployment of Infinium’s proprietary electrofuels technology in the Japanese market. Infinium electrofuels are classified as ultra-low... Read more →

Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their intent to establish a joint venture through which they plan to engage in the joint development and sales of high value-added battery electric vehicles (EVs) and commercialize them in conjunction with providing mobility services. The two... Read more →

Isuzu Motors, Hino Motors and Toyota Motor plan to strengthen their efforts to electrify buses. In collaboration with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies, which works to solve social issues through the spread of CASE technologies, the three companies will expand their lineup to increase customer options and reduce vehicle cost, in... Read more →

ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation are forming a partnership that will see Japan’s largest airline join with Joby to bring aerial ridesharing services to Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) also joined the partnership, with the intention of exploring opportunities such as ground-based transportation. Joby’s all-electric aircraft performing a flight test... Read more →

Fukuoka City—the sixth-largest city in Japan and the second-largest port city after Yokohama—and Toyota Motor Corporation have signed a partnership agreement aiming for the early realization of a hydrogen society. They will work closely with Commercial Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT), which works on commercial projects, to promote a wide range... Read more →

JGC Holdings Corporation and Cosmo Oil Company will use Honeywell Ecofining technology (earlier post) for the first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel project in Japan. The project will convert used cooking oil locally collected in Japan into renewable jet fuel meeting ASTM D7566 standards with start-up scheduled in 2025. Honeywell’s UOP... Read more →

Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. (CRDL) have commenced discussions on joint research aimed at accelerating development and implementing advanced technologies in the field of energy and the environment. The three parties each possess a strong desire... Read more →

Honda will start a testing program for autonomous vehicles in September 2021, taking a step toward an autonomous vehicle mobility service (MaaS) business in Japan, which Honda is planning to launch under collaboration with Cruise and General Motors. The testing program for autonomous vehicles mobility service technologies will be conducted... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Waseda University have started testing in Japan of a jointly developed recycling process that efficiently recovers high-purity rare-earth compounds from electrified vehicle motor magnets. The testing is aimed at enabling practical application of the new process by the mid-2020s. Most motors in electrified vehicles use... Read more →

Nissan Motor plans to start sales of an all-new, all-electric minivehicle in Japan in early FY2022. The vehicle is part of a joint project with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and is being planned and developed by NMKV Co., Ltd. NMKV is a 50/50 joint venture between the two companies engaged in... Read more →

ENEOS Corporation and Origin Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a study on a potential business collaboration for the development of a CO2-free hydrogen supply chain between Japan and Australia. This will be achieved by utilizing Australia’s excellent potential for cost-competitive hydrogen production due to its favorable climate... Read more →

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has appointed Sumitomo, Chiyoda, Toyota Motor, Japan Research Institute and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking to conduct a feasibility study on the receiving and distribution business of hydrogen in Chubu Region. NEDO selected these joint contractors in the public offeriing for “Development of... Read more →

Suzuki Motor Corporation and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. have joined the Commercial Japan Partnership (CJP) commercial vehicle project (earlier post) to accelerate their carbon neutrality initiatives in minivehicles through the dissemination of CASE technologies (connected, autonomous, shared and electric) and services. As part of their participation in the project, Suzuki... Read more →

ENEOS Holdings, Inc. and Ample, Inc., a US-based startup in which ENEOS has invested in, are collaborating to launch an EV battery swapping service in Japan. Through this partnership, both companies aim to develop an energy delivery service for EVs (in the form of battery swapping) that is quick, convenient,... Read more →

Fukushima Prefecture and Toyota Motor Corporation have commenced discussions with various partners over building a city for a new future that makes use of hydrogen and technologies produced in Fukushima Prefecture. In order to further promote reconstruction, Fukushima Prefecture is focusing on hydrogen, a new form of energy, and has... Read more →

In Japan, JERA and IHI Corporation will conduct a demonstration project under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s “Development of Technologies for Carbon Recycling and Next-Generation Thermal Power Generation / Research, Development and Demonstration of Technologies for Ammonia Co-Firing Thermal Power Generation” program. This will be the world’s... Read more →

ENEOS Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation have agreed on a new partnership to explore the utilization and application of hydrogen energy at Woven City, the prototype city of the future that Toyota has started to develop in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. ENEOS and Toyota, together with Woven Planet Holdings, a... Read more →

Suzuki Motor Corporation, Subaru Corporation (Subaru), Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation, and Mazda Motor Corporation reached an agreement to develop jointly technical specifications for next-generation vehicle communications devices. They also agreed to promote the common use of communications systems by using connected services to link automobiles and society... Read more →

Nissan announced that cumulative sales of vehicles with its e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post) surpassed 500,000 units at the end of March. The e-POWER system uses a highly efficient gasoline engine to generate electricity for the electric motor that propels the vehicle. For customers, this delivers EV-like excitement, quietness and... Read more →

The Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles has reached an agreement to standardize swappable batteries and replacement systems, allowing battery sharing and paving the way for increased adoption of electric motorcycles in Japan. The consortium was established by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation and... Read more →

Nippon Steel plans to suspend blast furnace operations at its Ibaraki Prefecture plant, near Tokyo, according to the Nikkei—the latest example of the group’s efforts to deal with overcapacity in Japan. With an earlier decision to halt three other blast furnaces, the steelmaker will cut its domestic capacity by 20%.... Read more →

Nissan began a field test of new mobility services as part of a partnership to promote future community building in Japan. The partnership agreement between three local governments and eight companies aims to develop new modes of transportation, and to promote the use of renewable energy, in the Hamadori area... Read more →

Chiyoda Corporation, together with Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co. Ltd and NYK Line, the other members of the Advanced Hydrogen Energy chain Association for technology Development (AHEAD), reported the successful completion of the world’s first global hydrogen supply chain system. The demonstration project, launched in 2015, was conducted by AHEAD... Read more →