Tokyo eyes ordinance revision to oblige companies to adopt electrified vehicles

The Yomiuri Shimbun

November 29, 2021

The Tokyo metropolitan government is planning to require companies with 200 or more vehicles for business use in the capital to adopt electrified vehicles for at least 20% of their passenger cars by March 2027, sources said.

The metropolitan government plans to submit a draft amendment to its environmental protection ordinance that calls for such businesses to switch to electric or hybrid vehicles.

It plans to submit the draft at the regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly that starts Tuesday and enact the revision in April next year.

According to the metropolitan government, about 180 businesses, including taxi companies, transport operators and financial institutions as well as the metropolitan government itself, will be subject to the revised ordinance.

Although trucks and buses fall under the category of business-use vehicles, the 20% requirement will be limited to passenger cars owned by the companies, including taxis.

As electric and hybrid passenger vehicles are already widely available on the market, the metropolitan government does not intend to launch a subsidy program to assist businesses in making the change.

“We hope [the businesses] will switch to electrified vehicles when their cars come up for renewal over the next five years,” a metropolitan government official in charge said.

No penalties will be imposed for failing to meet the target, but the metropolitan government is considering issuing an advisory to businesses that fail to do so and making public the names of such companies if they remain uncompliant, sources said.

Late last year, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike set a goal for all new passenger cars sold in Tokyo to be electrified vehicles by 2030.