Japan’s slow transition to electric cars has been blamed on the usual suspects — high prices, few models, limited charging infrastructure and range anxiety.
To help overcome some of those hurdles, gaming company DeNA — which started a mobility division in 2015 and developed applications for car-sharing, self-driving and taxi dispatch services — has developed an EV simulation tool that can assess the lifespan and cruising range per charge of battery cars over time.
The web-based tool, called FACTEV, uses data from vehicle inspection certificates and periodic servicing information to analyze how a gas car is actually used. By adding road characteristics (for example, highway versus city driving) and weather conditions (batteries drain faster in extreme heat or extreme cold), the simulator then selects a suitable EV alternative and provides data on practical performance.