Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Kagoshima Prefecture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly embark on the "Development of a CO2-Free Island" project to create an advanced low-carbon society on Yakushima Island. Japan's first World Heritage Site, Yakushima Island is home to some of the country's oldest trees - the oldest of which may be more than 7,000 years old - and has an abundant source of renewable energy: hydropower.

The partnership will primarily focus on promoting the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) on the island and creating an environment where people can safely drive EVs and utilize renewable energy.

Already, Kagoshima Prefecture has offered a purchase incentive for EVs under the "Support Program for EV Promotion in Yakushima Island." The prefecture is providing subsidies for installation of chargers, while Nissan has started a project to analyze how to install chargers optimally using drive data analysis technology.

The widely varied topography of Yakushima Island will offer an ideal setting to conduct studies on further refining the navigation system for EVs to more precisely factor in road gradient. A study on utilization of electricity generated by EVs also will be conducted.

Nissan and Kagoshima Prefecture believe the Development of a CO2-Free Island project will be a study in best practices for similar countries and regions throughout the world. They hope to establish a working model for the wide-spread adoption of EVs on remote islands.