After the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, the wrecked cities faced gasoline shortage. It became difficult to ensure means of transportation, and the need for EVs increased.We implemented assistant activities through EVs to be used as transportation at the affected areas.

Support activities by EVs and quick chargers at the wrecked cities of northeastern Japan

pummeled by the earthquake and tsunami

Takaoka Electric Mfg. Co, LtdTokyo Electric Power Company

Fujikura Ltd.Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Shortage of EVs

１．Issues and the contents for discussion

・Gasoline shortage at the disaster areas hit by the Great East Earthquake caused the difficulty in securing transportation means.

・Need for additional EV deployment increased in the wrecked cities. ・Since relatively small number of quick charging stations were installed in Tohoku area,

additional installations were needed to improve the operating rate of EVs and the environment for safe driving.

・In Ibaragi prefecture, the installed quick chargers were not available for general public, early release of the chargers were expected.

Shortage of quick chargers

Release ofelectric power company’s quick chargers

Installing additional QCs in proper points for EVs’ activity

Delivery and deployment of EVs

２．Cooperative structure

・The following four companies worked together in the field of their specialties.

Main roles

Cooperation with the disaster countermeasures officeLending of EVsSecuring of supports for installing quick chargers

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Considering ways to install QCsProvision of construction material Installation of quick chargers

Fujikura Ltd.

Plan for electric power supply Release of its own quick chargersCoordination of related parties

Tokyo Electric Power Company

Lending and delivery of quick chargersInstallation condition study

Takaoka Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd

Vehicle

Charging infrastructure

Electric power supply

３．Support details

・Lent 89 EVs and 3 quick chargers・Released 2 quick chargers for disaster relief activities use only

Total 89

Other 3

Fukushima pref. east branch government office building

Miyagi Mitsubishi Motor sales, Ishinomaki

TEPCO Mito affiliate office building

The electric company’s quick chargers were not available for general public, but it became available for disaster relief activities use only.

TEPCO Ibaragi branch office buildingRelease of existing quick chargers

Iwate pref. Ohunato government office building

Quick charger lease

Not only Mitsubishi Motors, but also Saitama-city, Soja-city, Nagoya-city, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi car dealers lent EVs without any charge, and more than 100 i-MiEVsare still actively used in the disaster areas now.

Fukushima prefecture 31Miyagi prefecture 33Iwate prefecture 18

EV lease

RemarksPlace & the number of lent EVsContent

４．Delivered EV ①

※１

*１ CO2 emitted from electric generation to charge is not included.

【Economy】

100％ ElectricEconomically efficient

【Ecology】CO2 emission on driving

ZERO

【Comfortable】Quiet and smooth

Comfortable driving

【Charge】At home, and outside the home

Two charging methods

※写真は１１型車両です

・EV batteries can be used as a source of electricity for home electric appliances in an emergency.

“AC power supply” enables EVs to supply power to low- power-consumption electrics (100W or less).As to power supply to high-power consumption electrics (1500W class), it is not available at this point, but it’s under development toward the practical use.

High-power-consumption electrics（1500W class）

＜under development＞

Low-power consumption electrics（100W or less）＜available＞

Cell phoneLaptop computer

Fan

Oil fan heater

Electric pot

Vacuum cleaner

Rice cooker

Washing machine

Hair dryer

LCDElectric shaver

AC power supply

５． Delivered EV ②

６． Delivered EV ③

An example that the EV is supplying power to home appliances using “AC power supply”.（Taken at Mitsubishi motors showroom）

AC power supply（Inverter）

Connected to cigarette lighter port

Do not exceed the capacity of the power transformer.

Use optimum wiring route and wiring technique appropriate for the location condition.

Do appropriate foundation work for the conditions of locations

Economical

７．Quick charger installation・Selected installation locations in consideration of the needs, power supply conditions

and electricity distribution facility・Prepared quick chargers having suitable output for the conditions of the distribution

facilityArranged installation conditions and optimum wiring route between charger providers and construction side

Conditions for installation

Proper points for EVs’ activity Existing facilities have the capacity to receive additional electricity.

Conditions for selecting locations

Since quick reconstruction of power grid was required, making new electricity distribution lines was difficult.

（Preparing quick chargers having appropriate output for the electricity distribution facility and contract maximum demand）

（Use of FEP tube, etc.）

（precast concrete、channel、chemical anchor bolt, etc）

６．Delivered and Installed Quick Charger

・Easy to install at temporary site, since power cable from three directions possible.・Maximum output power can be adjusted according to available power at the site.・Robust, since it can continue operation even if one of five modules goes wrong.

４Module Op. Possible

Bad Module Exchanged

10~50kW Flexibly Adjustable

Can

take

pow

er fr

om

two

side

s an

d ba

ck

50kW （Normal）

30kW （Ex.1）

20kW （Ex.2）

Charg

ing P

ow

er

Charging Time Charging Time Charging Time

Rest

ricte

d

Rest

ricte

d

９．Quick charger installation work

・Fujikura manufactures and sales the connector with cable which connects quick chargers and EVs.

・Therefore, for Fujikura, quick charger installation is the field that we never experienced. But we challenged it by making extensive use of construction skills we have acquired.

Outline of Installation workCubicle

Features of Fujikura connectorConnector’s simple operation

Designed based on ergonomics

The connector and the vehicle inlet are tightly

locked.

Low insertion force, easy to use for everyone

Leakage circuit breaker

Quick Charger

FoundationFEP tube

On-site research↓

Foundation work of quick charger

↓Installation of FEP tube

(including fixing) ↓

Installation of quick charger

↓Connection of

leakage circuit breaker↓

Wiring of cable↓

Connection of cable

Cable

１０．Quick charger installation work

Foundation work Implanting anchor

Installation of quick charger

Installation of FEP tube

Leakage circuit breaker Charging

FEP tube

quick charger

quick charger connector

１１．Quick charger installation

Iwate pref. Ohunato government office Miyagi Mitsubishi Motor Sales,Ishinomaki

Fukushima pref. east branch government officeTEPCO Mito affiliate office

TEPCO Ibaragi branch office

１２．EVs in the wrecked city

・ Right after the earthquake, shortage of gasoline was acute. But the electricity supply was restored relatively quickly, and EVs have been used as means of transportation for the reconstruction.

・Electric power supply will be tight due to the effects of the earthquake. But the EVs are charged during the night, which doesn’t place a burden on supply side.

MASASHI KAWATA

Sendai City Council of Social Welfare- Sendai city volunteer center

１３．Voices of users

・Miyagi Public Health and Welfare Office; Director（Male）I realized that electricity supply is restored more quickly than other infrastructures. Also I realized that EVs are helpful for initial response to disaster-relief activities.

・Sendai city Miyagino Health and Welfare Center; Assistant manager（Female）All female workers could drive EVs in the same way as gas vehicles. We didn’t see any difference between the EV and a gas vehicle except EV’s quietness. Since the EV ran quietly, we could have the meeting in the car. First, we nervously drove the EV, but later we found that it doesn’t go out of electricity easily. Now we put priority on EVs rather than gas vehicles to drive.

・Sendai City board of education; Manager（ Male ）EVs were really helpful when we needed to go to the affected schools for investigation and to see constructors for meetings. Because emergency vehicles had a priority to get gas over official vehicles, EVs helped us a lot.

・Major carrying company; Director （ Male ）The EV was helpful after the electricity supply was restored. We used the EV for volunteering and delivering goods. When gasoline was in short supply, we used our all EVs through the day. I would say that all the vehicle of such size can be changed to electric.