Delhi to get last-mile e-mobility IT system by Panasonic and Eto Motors

Delhi to get last-mile e-mobility IT system by Panasonic and Eto Motors

On October 17, Panasonic and Eto Motors launched a test project to show how the IT system may provide an effective last-mile mobility system in collaboration with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Japan’s NEDO.

In order to conduct a demonstration for the next 18 months, Eto Motors will deploy its 40 L5 e-passenger carriers on a designated stretch of the Delhi Metro route, which spans its four stations – Nehru Place, Nehru Enclave, Kalkaji Mandir, and Okhla NSIC – in the South East district of the nation’s capital.

Through the project, users of the Delhi Metro will be able to easily book a ride for their last-mile commute and check the availability of an Eto Motors e-rickshaw using the “Sojo” mobile application, developed by Panasonic. In addition, the ride-sharing service would support cashless transactions and provide a two-tap booking interface. Panasonic and Eto Motors plan to leverage the data collected from the pilot project, and they will also submit a final report to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a government agency under Japan’s MEITI that has funded the e-mobility pilot project.

“We are supporting the pilot from the standpoint of funding, as well as we have a strong international government-to-government network and enable approvals for such projects. While NEDO will not do any business from this pilot, we support private companies after assessing their proposal,”  

Yumitori Shuji, Executive Director, NEDO

NEDO, which is also supporting such projects in Indonesia, California, and Phillipines, says with India’s focus on EVs, hydrogen, and bio-mass, the two countries share common values. “While making a government-to-government MoU takes time, this particular project was wholeheartedly supported by the DTC,” Shuji added.

The Sojo mobile application’s key developer, Panasonic India, claims to be attempting to provide first- and last-mile connection. It has three components: a driver, passenger, and fleet operator application. The cloud powers these parts of the application at the back end, according to Panasonic India Chief Innovation Officer Manish Mishra.

“We assess the demand-supply situation from the driver’s perspective, easy bookings for the passengers, and fleet monitoring from the operator’s perspective. We have put significant effort in designing this platform over the last 10 months, and are launching it now as a demonstration pilot for people to adopt,”.

Panasonic India Chief Innovation Officer Manish Mishra

Through the project, users of the Delhi Metro will be able to easily book a ride for their last-mile commute and check the availability of an Eto Motors e-rickshaw using the “Sojo” mobile application, developed by Panasonic.

Content Credit: evmechanica