ENECHANGE Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yohei Kiguchi; hereafter: the Company) is pleased to announce the start of API linkage of EV charging spot information from the ENECHANGE Cloud EV “Odekake EV”, a EV charging spot search app provided by NAVIGATE.inc (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kenji Kato; hereinafter: NAVIGATE).

Background

In line with the Japanese government’s goal to achieve a 100% electric vehicle (EV) ratio in new passenger car sales by 2035, the Company introduced “ENECHANGE EV Charge” in November 2021. Recognizing the critical role of EV charging infrastructure in driving EV adoption, the government has set a target of 300,000 public EV charging ports. The Company aims to invest up to 30 billion JPY by 2027 to install a maximum of 30,000 domestic Level 2 EV charging ports to support this vision.

With many EV charge point operators installing charging ports on a daily basis, it is becoming increasingly important to provide highly accurate charging port location information and service updates to help develop a highly convenient charging infrastructure for EV drivers.

NAVIGATE developments and operates the EV charging port search application Odekake EV. The app makes outings smarter and more enjoyable for EV users by allowing them toaccumulate points for “distance travelled” and “check-ins” when driving or planning, and exchange them for e-money or gift vouchers. The combination of Odekake’s search and suggestion functions and ENECHANGE EV Charge’s highly accurate charging port location information has been highly rated by users, and our API cooperation has now been finalized. By linking our EV charging portinformation API to the Odekake EV app, we will support smarter and more enjoyable excursions for EV users.

Features of the ENECHANGE Cloud EV

The Company develops and operates EV charging app that utilize the know-how of the ENECHANGE EV Charge app, and the ENECHANGE Cloud EV solution for EV services, which includes the provision of nationwide EV charging spot information APIs. By aggregating information from many EV charge point operators in Japan, the company holds information on approximately 32,000 charging ports (*1) nationwide, making it one of the leading aggregators in Japan.

EV users in Japan will be able to use the highly accurate charging port location and coverage information provided by the Company through services such as apps and in-vehicle navigation systems, thereby helping to alleviate concerns about route charging and destination charging. The information is revised and updated by referring to the more than 100,000 word-of-mouth reviews gathered by our specialist team’s rounds of surveys and the EV-focused media ”EVsmart”. Our strength is in providing EV users with the latest and most accurate information. For operators of apps and in-vehicle navigation systems, our API can be used to minimize the data collection and data updating workload. By linking our EV charging spot information with common data, we will support a seamless charging experience for EV users, promote the spread of EVs and improve convenience for EV users.

*1 Number of EV charging ports and spots listed on the EVsmart search application. EVsmart’s EV charging spot information API is being provided as a service of ENECHANGE Cloud EV (as of June 2023).

Comment from Kenji Kato, Representative Director, NAVIGATE.inc

By linking the information on EV charging spots available on Odekake EV with the ENECHANGE Cloud EV API, we are now able to deliver information on the increasing number of charging spots more quickly and accurately to our customers. In cooperation with ENECHANGE, we will work together to provide an environment where more EV users can go out with peace of mind.

Comment from Ryoichi Nojima, Executive Officer, ENECHANGE Ltd.

By providing the charging spot information API provided by ENECHANGE Cloud EV to the Odekake EV app, app users will be able to enjoy their excursions more than ever before without having to worry about EV charging. Together with navigators, we will further improve the convenience of EV users and contribute to the realization of the spread of EVs.

About Odekake EV

The EV charging spot search application “Odekake EV” was released by Navigate Inc. in May 2023.
(1) Nationwide EV charging spot display function (EV charging details introduction & route search possible).
(2) Facility category introduction using the facility category data held and ChatGPT.
(3) Point acquisition function
(4) Point exchange (use), etc.

URL：https://odekake-ev.net

About ENECHANGE Cloud EV

ENECHANGE Cloud EV provides development and operation of apps for EV users. It utilizes data from EVsmart (*2), one of Japan’s largest EV media and an EV charge port location search app with a cumulative total of 220,000 downloads, and know-how from ENECHANGE EV Charge, which is operated in-house. It also holds a database of nationwide EV charge port location information, which it provides access to via API.

ENECHANGE Cloud service website
URL: https://enechange.co.jp/e_cloud-lp/

*2 The EV charging spot search app EVsmart was integrated into the ENECHANGE EV Charge app in June 2023.
https://enechange.co.jp/news/press/evcharge-app/

ENECHANGE Ltd.

ENECHANGE is an energy technology company that promotes a carbon-free society through digital technology with the mission of Changing Energy For A Better World. We offer services based on data utilization in the field of the 4Ds of Energy: Deregulation, Digitalization, Decarbonization, and Decentralization. Our company’s roots come from an energy data lab at the University of Cambridge, UK, a country where liberalization is mature. ENECHANGE has a UK subsidiary, ENECHANGE Innovation Limited, as well as a global network and analytical technology for energy data.

URL: https://enechange.co.jp/en/

■For inquiries
ENECHANGE Ltd.
pr@enechange.co.jp