Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus (MFTBC), in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors, Ample, and Yamato Transport, is set to roll out an EV battery swapping initiative in Tokyo, Japan, by September 2025.
The plan includes introducing more than 150 battery-swappable commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and creating 14 modular battery swapping stations across the city.
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This major move towards sustainable transportation follows a smaller pilot in Kyoto last year and will feature MFTBC’s eCanter light-duty truck and Mitsubishi Motors’ Minicab EV, targeting commercial delivery fleets.
Yamato Transport will be the first major customer, focusing on last-mile delivery applications.
Ample, a US-based battery swapping company, will provide the technology for the EV platforms and will be responsible for installing and operating the swapping stations.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Environment Public Corporation is backing the project through its “Technology Development Support Project for Promoting New Energy”, aligning with Japan’s climate goals.
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By GlobalDataJapan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
With the transportation sector responsible for nearly 19% of the country’s CO₂ emissions in 2022, commercial fleet electrification is a strategic priority for Japan’s decarbonisation efforts.
The consortium in Tokyo is targeting battery swapping times of just five minutes, offering a fully automated service where drivers do not need to exit their vehicles.
Ample’s compact and rapidly deployable stations are a practical solution for high-utilisation fleets in dense urban areas like Tokyo.
Future expansions of this initiative may include grid services, such as renewable energy storage, to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This initiative builds on previous collaborations, with Yamato Transport pioneering commercial EV battery swapping since 2022 and a successful pilot involving commercial delivery and battery swapping taxis in Kyoto in 2024.
