Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Yamato Transport Co. have announced that they have started field testing for parcel collection and delivery operations with the use of a prototype light commercial electric vehicle (EV) built by MMC.
For the purpose of the field tests, the two companies will employ a prototype light commercial EV based on the Minicab market model but powered by the same EV powertrain and components as used by the MMC i-MiEV.
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The gathering and analysis of a wide range of driving data and information through this program will allow the companies to ascertain the feasibility of using light commercial EVs in collection/delivery operations.
Beginning on October 15, the field tests will be conducted from Yamato Transport’s Higashi Kojiya 1-chome Depot in Ota-ku, Tokyo and will cover collection/delivery operations throughout the Ota-ku region.
Yamato Transport has already introduced 10 i-MiEV electric cars for the purpose of training drivers in the areas of safety and eco-friendly driving habits. On the basis of the results stemming from the field tests the company will also be looking at the use of light commercial EVs in its collection/delivery operations as part of its drive to make commercial vehicles eco-friendly.
MMC said that it will feed back the field test results into its product development as it aims to bring a light commercial EV to market ‘as early as possible’.
