Launch of "Okazaki Public EV Share" Operation

Okazaki City*1, NTT Business Solutions Corporation*2, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited*3, Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Company, Limited*4, REXEV Inc.*5, and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation*6, as part of their initiative to achieve a Zero Carbon City, will gradually switch 68 public vehicles owned by Okazaki City to electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "EVs"). Additionally, two of these EVs will be made available for citizens and tourists through the EV car-sharing service "Okazaki Public EV Share" (hereinafter referred to as "this project").

This project will be implemented through the EV car-sharing service "N.mobi"*7.

*1. Okazaki City (Mayor: Yasuhiro Uchida)

*2. NTT Business Solutions Corporation (President and Representative Director: Hidenori Kinogami)

*3. Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited (President and Representative Director: Tetsuro Imaeda)

*4. Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Company, Limited (President and Representative Director: Koji Aso)

*5. REXEV Inc. (President and Representative Director: Ken Watanabe)

*6. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (President, Representative Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer: Takao Kato)

*7. "N.mobi" is an EV car-sharing service operated by NTT Business Solutions Corporation.

N.mobi Website: https://www.nttbizsol.jp/nmobi/

1. Background and Objectives

Okazaki City (Joint Proposers: Aichi Prefecture and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation) was selected as a "Second Round Carbon Neutrality Leading Area" in November 2022 and is promoting initiatives to achieve "Zero Carbon City by 2050."*8

As part of this initiative, the city will electrify 68 public vehicles and implement this project, allowing citizens and tourists to use them for shopping, sightseeing, and other purposes after business hours on weekdays and on holidays.

The EVs to be introduced are all expected to operate on renewable energy electricity. Compared to conventional gasoline vehicles, an annual reduction of 80.7 t-CO₂ is anticipated. Furthermore, this project aims to promote the widespread adoption of EVs, reduce environmental impact through the penetration of the sharing economy, diversify transportation options, and effectively utilize public vehicles.

*8. Carbon Neutrality Leading Area "What to do about Carbon Neutrality? Building a City of Energy Saving, Energy Creation, Energy Storage, and Energy Management starting from Okazaki Castle Town."

Okazaki City Website: https://www.city.okazaki.lg.jp/1550/1564/3512/p037111.html

2. Project Overview

(1) Start of Operation

Available from 6:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, 2026

(2) Vehicles and Number of Units

Mitsubishi Motors Kei EV "eK X EV" - 2 units

*Based on the analysis of usage status, expansion of locations and number of units will be considered.

(3) Location

Departure and arrival at Okazaki City Hall East Multi-story Parking Lot, 1-43 Ryōchō, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture

(4) Usage Hours

Monday to Friday: 6:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next day (Available all day on holidays)

Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, and Year-End/New Year Holidays (Dec 29 - Jan 3): 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM

*From 8:30 AM to 5:15 PM on weekdays (excluding holidays and year-end/New Year holidays from Dec 29 to Jan 3), the vehicles will be used as official cars.

(5) How to Use

After registering as a member, reservations can be made by downloading the car-sharing service app "N.mobi App"*9 onto your smartphone.

*9. When registering, you will need an image of your driver's license (both sides) and a credit card in your name.

(6) Usage Fees

From ¥220 per 15 minutes (tax included)*

*Applies when subscribing to the "Always Plan" (monthly basic fee ¥1,100 including tax).

For the "Occasional Plan" (no monthly basic fee), the rate is from ¥264 per 15 minutes (tax included).

3. How to Use (Overview)

To use the service, users must register as a member and make reservations, use, and return vehicles through the "N.mobi App."*10

*10. To use the service, you need to download the app and register an account from the dedicated website below.

N.mobi Website: https://www.nttbizsol.jp/nmobi/

4. Role Allocation

【Special Note】

With "N.mobi" and eMMP, some vehicle data acquisition that was previously handled by aftermarket onboard devices can now be obtained through the connected functions of automobile manufacturers.

This allows for the minimization of onboard device roles, which is expected to stabilize service operations and reduce the burden of maintenance work. By utilizing vehicle data provided by automobile manufacturers, we will achieve more efficient car-sharing operations.

5. Future Initiatives

Okazaki City has a higher car ownership rate compared to the national average, and automobiles are closely involved in the lives of its citizens. Decarbonization in the transportation sector requires a shift to next-generation vehicles such as FCVs and EVs, as well as the promotion of public transportation use, assuming changes in the behavior of citizens and businesses.

Moving forward, we will encourage behavioral changes among citizens and businesses through public-private collaborative initiatives like this project. Furthermore, Okazaki City will take the lead in electrifying its public vehicles, and by promoting subsidy systems for the purchase of next-generation vehicles and developing usage environments such as EV charging stations for households and businesses, we will promote the adoption of next-generation vehicles with low environmental impact.

Additionally, NTT Business Solutions and the other companies involved in this project will utilize their respective DX (Digital Transformation) and GX (Green Transformation) technologies to deploy this as a model case for "Carbon Neutrality Domino Policy" to other municipalities, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality for society as a whole.

*The information contained in this press release is current as of the date of announcement.

Please note that it is subject to change without prior notice.