While there is a great deal of information out there about electric vehicles (EVs), it is widely dispersed and difficult to compare. Individual and business users alike may find themselves at a loss when it comes to identifying which of the many charging equipment systems, energy plans, and subsidies are available and suitable for them and how they can be accessed. To address this situation, EVNION PLACE was launched in October 2024 as a comprehensive one-stop online platform offering EV-related products and services as well as resources for EV owners, regardless of make or model. The platform has met with a favorable reception among both individual and corporate users.

EVNION PLACE is run by EVNION Inc., a joint enterprise established by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. In the following, EVNION Executive Vice President Hisanaga Kojima sheds light on the platform’s services and future prospects.

Visit EVNION PLACE to find answers to all of your questions and concerns about owning and operating an EV.
EVNION PLACE consists of three main sections. The “Marketplace” offers EV-related goods and services for sale while the “Articles and Columns” section provides useful information about owning and operating an EV. “Enrich Your Life with an EV,” meanwhile, sets out various visions of the kind of society that can be achieved with EVs. Kojima points to four features of the platform that have drawn a favorable user response.
“The first feature is its learnability and user-friendliness,” he says. “Many first-time purchasers of EVs get confused when it comes to choosing components like chargers. EVNION PLACE has a configurator that suggests products and services suitable to each person’s needs and circumstances. Users can compare different EV chargers and energy plans, and they can order for them online. The second feature is the extensive lineup of products and services available to meet a broad range of needs. As well as a line of readily available EV chargers for household use, for corporate users there are solutions for achieving decarbonization goals such as photovoltaic power generation and stationary energy storage systems as well as consultation services.”

The third feature is the highly rated concierge service for corporate clients. After learning what the client wants, how far along they are in the process of introducing EVs and how they intend to use them, a dedicated concierge recommends options for a suitable charging solution and refers the client to an installation specialist. This service is free.

The fourth feature is the rich collection of EV-related resources. Maintaining a neutral stance, the platform provides information that EV owners need, ranging from basic knowledge about charging infrastructure to an outline of the subsidies available to EV owners as well as advice on how to use EVs efficiently.

If you are still at the stage of thinking about getting an EV, you too will find EVNION PLACE helpful as it also contains illustrative articles for novices, as “What is an EV?” “Where can an EV be charged?” and “How much does an EV cost?” According to a review by one user, “EVNION PLACE answers any questions you may have about EVs.”

Kojima originally worked for Mitsubishi Motors. In 2003, when the company spun off its truck and bus division to create Mitsubishi Fuso, he transferred to the newly established company, where he assumed several critical roles over the years, such as managing overseas markets and managing product planning for the eCanter light-duty EV truck. He was then seconded to Mitsubishi Corporation from 2022 to lead the establishment of EVNION. Having worked with the three Mitsubishi affiliates, Kojima was instrumental in bringing them together and successfully executing the launch of EVNION PLACE. At present, he finds it extremely meaningful to build a business foundation in preparation for future EV market expansion while exploring new areas such as digital marketing.

“Mitsubishi Fuso had acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of commercial EV trucks, as shown by the release of the first eCanter model in 2017,” he recalls. “However, it was challenging for one company to single-handedly develop services in areas beyond vehicle sales, such as charging. But together with Mitsubishi Corporation, which has a broad network of businesses across different industries, and Mitsubishi Motors, which has extensive EV-related knowledge regarding the business-to-consumer model, Mitsubishi Fuso has formed a powerful team that is just brimming with expertise. Keeping in mind that the Japanese EV market is still developing and many of the players are facing challenges, I believe this gives us opportunities to work together in many areas and many possibilities to jointly create new value.”

Six months have now passed since the launch of EVNION PLACE. Kojima is making efforts to publicize the platform at EV dealerships to increase awareness, and to improve its user interface by carrying out questionnaire surveys. The number of partner companies has doubled as a result, along with the lineup of products and services. Inquiries and requests for quotes are also rising steadily.

But Kojima aims to acquire even more partners and to enhance the products and services on offer both in quality and quantity. “We aim to develop bundled services utilizing partner companies’ products and services in the future,” he explains. “Our focus is always on making the platform easy to use with clear information. In particular, we will continue to endeavor to improve the user experience by developing an advanced configurator function so that our users can easily find the service or information they want.”