Eneos eyes 1,000 quick chargers for EVs by FY25

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:39 JST, January 3, 2022

Eneos Holdings, Inc. plans to install 1,000 quick chargers for electric vehicles by fiscal 2025, President Katsuyuki Ota said during a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

“The number of EVs in Japan is still small, but we want to advance this plan while identifying effective locations,” Ota said.

In fiscal 2022, the oil giant plans to set up 100 quick chargers at its affiliated gas stations. As EVs take time to recharge, the company assumes that people will use cafes, launderettes and other facilities that are adjacent to the gas stations while waiting.

Ota said the company will also focus on the development of synthetic fuel made from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The synthetic fuel can be used in gasoline-powered vehicles, so there will be no need to make changes to the gas stations. Such fuel is expected to reduce the cost of transition for decarbonization.

Initially, Eneos had planned to start producing synthetic fuel in fiscal 2025 or later, but it now intends to start output by building a small-scale plant as early as fiscal 2023.

“Demand for gasoline is rapidly declining due to a fast-growing trend toward decarbonization and the coronavirus pandemic. We want to meet diverse needs,” Ota said.