Sumitomo Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and NEC Corporation have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim to jointly promote a new membership-based charging service for electric vehicles (EV) users that will be available for the first time countrywide in Japan.

Under the deal, the 3 firms will carry out a combined study to develop charging facilities that can offer up nonstop service to the users of electric vehicles and maintenance of charging equipment by working with subsisting service suppliers.

They will also set up a business model for the charging infrastructure, which will give expediency to EV users by optimally installing standard charging facilities and quick chargers at key strategic locations, including provisions of charging facilities for residents of apartment buildings and monthly parking users. In addition, future use of charging facilities by plug-in hybrid vehicles will also be analyzed.

Sumitomo also introduced the New Business Development & Promotion Division, which will look after environmental businesses and is working on formulating novel approaches to realizing a low-carbon, recycling-based society.

Directing to realize such a society, the company will also back up the extensive adoption of next-gen vehicles comprising EV via the second-life use of lithium-ion batteries for automotive utilization, the growth of the system that facilitates "Green IT" and the auto lease business by its affiliate company, Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Company.

With the objective of becoming a worldwide leader in zero-emission mobility, Nissan rolled out its mass-market EV, Nissan LEAF in Japan on December 20th with Nissan-developed rapid chargers going on sale earlier in May. Through the novel service, the company intends to accelerate the development of infrastructure essential to promoting EV and achieve both greater convenience to users and business feasibility.

NEC will offer a range of systems utilizing cloud computing in the membership management, including quick charging services, member authentication and payment processing. Through this new business, the company will improve convenience for users with the establishment of a new infrastructure that takes advantage of networked charging facilities and ICT technologies to promote a whole new service that will contribute to the environment.

In order to create further synergy for the business, the three companies will leverage their combined know-how in gaining support from a wide-range of organizations from all industries.