This rise in the number of charging points is seen as a step toward a greener driving future by Nissan, who have reiterated the need for wide-spread, accessible charging points: ‘An important element of the continued market growth [of electric vehicles] is the development of the charging infrastructure,’ said Joseph G. Peter, Nissan Chief Financial Officer.
he 40 000 total is a combination of both public and private charging points. The overall number of individual petrol pumps still outnumbers individual charging points, however, as petrol stations can service multiple cars at once.
160 000 of Nissan’s fully electric car, the LEAF, have been purchased globally since 2011. The LEAF can travel up to 135 km between charges, but the fear of not being able to find or access a charging point puts off many potential buyers.
Japan’s government has offered financial support to help set up charging stations, providing subsidies to cover up to two-thirds of construction costs from March 2013 onwards. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi established the Nippon Charge Service in May 2015, which similary contributes funding to cover set-up costs and operating fees for firms and municipalities looking to build a charging station.
