Yubi Den, the company behind the electric vehicle charging service "WeCharge," has decided to install one of Japan's largest EV charging infrastructures at "Forest Place Kashii Teraha The Terrace," a condominium in Fukuoka City's Island City. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2023, and it is attracting attention as a new era of EV charging service.

"WeCharge" is a charging service compatible with all electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). It is a convenient system that allows charging anywhere WeCharge is available, not just at home condominiums, but also at hotels and commercial facilities when traveling.

Another appeal is the ease of use, with the dedicated smartphone app allowing for everything from usage procedures to payment settlement. It makes EV charging feel more accessible and familiar to everyone.

In recent years, with rising fossil fuel prices and increasing demand for a carbon-neutral society, the adoption of EVs has been on a steady upward trend. Furthermore, generous subsidies from national and local governments for EV adoption suggest that the shift towards EVs will continue to accelerate.

Concerns have been raised about securing charging locations and power supply issues when adopting EVs, questioning whether daily life can continue as before. WeCharge offers a service that addresses these anxieties.

Until now, the image of EV charging has been associated with shared charging facilities, making it difficult for EV drivers, especially those living in condominiums or other multi-unit dwellings, to "charge freely at any time."

However, WeCharge allows each EV to be individually connected to the power grid for charging via a standard outlet. EVs connected to the system can be controlled via the cloud, and can even help regulate power when the grid is strained. This introduces a new relationship between EVs and energy, viewing parked EVs as "storage batteries."

"Forest Place Kashii Teraha The Terrace" in Fukuoka City's Island City has installed one of Japan's largest EV charging infrastructures, enabling smart charging for all 429 parking spaces in its parking structure.

The smart distribution boards connected to the WeCharge charging platform enable integrated power control within the condominium.
As the infrastructure is linked with the power grid, it utilizes surplus electricity for EV charging, contributing to grid stability. This also offers the benefit of reduced charging costs.

As of June 2023, the EVs gathered at this condominium, when viewed as storage batteries, represent a capacity of approximately 500 kWh.
By introducing this large-scale EV charging infrastructure, the increase in the number of EVs is expected to be further encouraged, with the total storage capacity of the condominium projected to expand to 10,000 kWh by 2030, a twenty-fold increase.

WeCharge is expanding to condominiums, apartments, and commercial facilities nationwide, aiming to install a cumulative total of 80,000 charging ports by the end of 2025.

Yubi Den believes that the development of infrastructure to support the EV environment is indispensable for realizing a carbon-neutral society. Their efforts continue as they envision a "bright future of electricity."