Tokyo gov’t to subsidize charging facilities for electric vehicles

January 8, 2018

Tokyo- The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to introduce in fiscal 2018 a subsidy program to help accelerate the installations of charging facilities for electric vehicles at condominiums in the Japanese capital, informed sources have said.

By combining the subsidies with a similar program of the central government, the Tokyo government aims to reduce residents' costs for setting up such facilities to zero, as part of its efforts to realize a low-carbon society, the sources said.

An increasing number of countries are moving to reduce the use of gasoline, with Britain and France having announced plans to ban the sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

In Japan, meanwhile, the share of electric vehicles in overall passenger car sales has been less than one pct.

At condominiums, the installation of charging facilities has not progressed apparently because reaching consensus among residents is difficult, according to the sources.

In fiscal 2018, which starts in April, the Tokyo government will also launch an initiative for helping balance work and child-rearing.

Small companies that hire for at least three months female employees who returned to the workplaces after taking maternity leave of one year or longer will receive 1.25 million yen in subsidies per such employee, the sources said.

If male corporate employees take childcare leave of 15 days or longer after their wives' return to work following childbirths, up to 3 million yen will be granted to the companies that employ the male workers, according to the sources. Jiji Press