Toyo Seat, Choshu Industry, The Chugoku Electric Power, and Mazda Motor Corporation have reached an offsite corporate power purchase agreement (PPA)*1 on solar power generation, a renewable source of energy, to support the transition towards a carbon neutral society. Under the PPA, Choshu Industry will serve as the electric power producer, with Choshu Industry and Mazda installing new solar power generation facilities on unused land in the Chugoku Region, using those facilities to generate electricity, which will then be sold to Chugoku Electric Power. Chugoku Electric Power will then supply this electricity to Toyo Seat and Mazda as a source of renewable energy.*2
“Mazda began using renewable energy on site in July 2021 with the installation of solar panels on the roof of our plant. To become carbon neutral throughout our supply chain by 2050 and at out plants throughout the world by 2035, it is essential for us to work together with various stakeholders to promote the wider adoption of offsite corporate PPA, and we believe that this project will serve as a valuable first step towards the wider use of renewable energy sources within the Chugoku Region,” said Hironaka Taketo, Executive Officer, in charge of Production Engineering, Business Logistics, Carbon Neutrality and Cost Innovation, Mazda Motor Corporation.
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J.D. Power and Motorq to Monitor EV Battery Health
J.D. Power and Motorq have announced an alliance to provide the automotive industry with “insights based on connected vehicle data.” The first product from the alliance will measure real-world electric vehicle (EV) battery health. Using data provided by the electric vehicle itself, in collaboration with the manufacturers, J.D. Power and Motorq* said they will provide EV owners and potential buyers with an independent measurement of the health of that vehicle’s EV battery, compared with its stated health when new. Individual vehicles that achieve a pre-specified score will receive a J.D. Power validation that will give potential buyers “confidence in the health of the EV battery.”
Yes, your vehicle will be monitored. Clearly, privacy issues arise and will have to be worked out. J.D. Power and Motorq, a connected vehicle analytics firm, will use thousands of measurements from the vehicle taken over time to assess how an individual EV battery is performing. The two companies are in discussions with vehicle manufacturers and other industry participants to bring empirical EV battery health to the market. Continue reading →