Hitachi, Nissan harness mini EV to power elevator for 15 hours

Tokyo [Japan], April 14 : Hitachi and Nissan Motor have succeeded in using an electric minicar to power an elevator for nearly 15 hours straight in a recent experiment, demonstrating how electric vehicles can be used as a power source in an emergency, Nikkei Asia reported.

Nissan's Sakura EV, which is equipped with a 20 kilowatt-hour battery, was connected to a six-story building using a special adapter system developed by Hitachi Building Systems, according to an announcement earlier this week.

Nikkei Asia reported that the elevator was able to move all the way up and down the building 416 times before the car's battery fell to 10 per cent of capacity, the lowest level while supplying power externally.

According to Asia Nikkei, Hitachi aims to start selling the adapter as early as this year, targeting compes and municipal governments that are looking to tap EVs for electricity during power outages and other emergencies.

The global market for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, which includes connecting EVs to buildings, will expand 7.5 times from 2022 to $19.5 billion in 2028, Tokyo-based Research Station predicts.