Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. (Yamato Transport) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced that they have started field trying for parcel collection and delivery operations with the use of a prototype light commercial electric vehicle (EV) built by MMC.
Yamato Transport is working to decrease environmental burden in all areas of its express home delivery operations through a series of initiatives which include: restricting the size of its delivery vehicle fleet; introducing low-emission delivery vehicles; promoting eco-friendly driving habits; reducing driving distances and promoting modal shift*.
The Yamato Transport fleet comprises around 45,000 vehicles moreover the company is intent on contributing to the realization of a low-carbon society through the active introduction of next-generation eco-friendly vehicles. (As at the end of March 2010, the fleet included 11,538 low-emission vehicles, of which 4,659 use hybrid propulsion systems.)
MMC is the pioneering manufacturer in the field of mass-produced electric vehicles. The company launched the i-MiEV new-generation electric vehicle to the Japanese market in July 2009 targeting corporate, government and local authorities. In April of this year MMC started sales of i-MiEV to individual owners.
The EV is the ultimate eco-car because its zero CO2 tailpipe emissions allow it to effectively address such environmental issues as air pollution, global warming and the shift away from oil. By adding a light commercial vehicle to its EV lineup - which, unit for unit, clock longer life-cycle driving distances than passenger cars - MMC is aiming to do its part to quickly make possible a low-carbon society.
Yamato Transport has been studying the use of commercial EVs which, of all next-generation vehicles, hold high promise for making possible a low-carbon society, and together with MMC, which has been pushing ahead the development and manufacture of electric commercial vehicles, has agreed to work in conducting a program of collection/delivery field tests using a light commercial EV.
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