Uber Eats Japan begins deliveries by self-driving robots&Nissan tests solid oxide fuel cells for EV production&Mitsubishi Corporation invests US$18 million in lithium mine in Canada

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Uber Eats Japan begins deliveries by self-driving robots.

Mar 6, 2024

Uber Eats Japan has begun operating automated delivery robots in Tokyo to improve efficiency amid a labor shortage. Currently in operation at two stores in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, with plans to expand in the future, the robots will operate from 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays. The Uber Eats delivery robot collects the ordered items from the stores and delivers them to the designated address when the order is confirmed via the app.

The robot will be the second automated delivery business by UberEats in the world, following the U.S. in 2022. Shintaro Nakagawa, president of Uber Eats Japan, acknowledges the gradual integration of automated robots and emphasizes their importance in the midst of labor shortages, including the “2024 problem.

The robot, supplied by Cartoken and adapted by Mitsubishi Electric, operates autonomously or remotely and travels at a speed of 5.4 kilometers per hour, slightly below the 6-kilometer speed limit for small remotely operated vehicles under Japanese traffic law. The robot has a capacity of 27 liters and 20 kilograms and is equipped with insulation to ensure that food is delivered to customers at the proper temperature. Additionally, it utilizes cameras to move along pedestrian walkways, but people’s faces in the automatically captured video are automatically hidden to protect their privacy.

Mitsubishi Electric will continue to innovate autonomous robots with a view to future deliveries within buildings.

Source: Uber Eats Japan begins deliveries with self-driving robots

Nissan Tests Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for EV Production

Mar 8, 2024

Nissan is testing solid oxide fuel cells fueled by bioethanol with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Trials are underway at Nissan’s Tochigi plant in Japan to scale up power generation by 2030.

Kazuhiko Murata, Vice President of Nissan, emphasized the company’s commitment to technological innovations like solid oxide fuel cells for electrification and carbon neutrality.

Solid oxide fuel cells generate electricity by reacting hydrogen extracted from fuels such as ethanol, natural gas, and LP gas with oxygen. Nissan’s system has achieved a power generation efficiency as high as 70%, higher than other fuel cells. The evolution of the metal support cells in the stack has improved durability, enabling shorter start-up times and quicker response to output fluctuations, and is expected to be compatible with renewable energy.

The system will utilize bioethanol derived from sorghum grown in a variety of climates and soil types. Sorghum stalks are used as an ethanol feedstock and the grain is used as food, thus ensuring sustainability without compromising food production. Stem waste can be reused for biomass power generation. Solid oxide fuel cells fueled by bioethanol emit CO2, but this is offset by the CO2 absorbed during the sorghum growth process, resulting in a carbon neutral cycle with minimal emissions.

Source: Nissan trial solid oxide fuel cell to power EV production

Mitsubishi Corporation Invests US$18 Million in Lithium Mine in Canada

Mar 11, 2024

Mitsubishi Corporation announced an investment in a joint venture with Frontier Lithium, a Canadian company developing lithium mines amid intensifying competition for the supply of batteries for electric vehicles. Mitsubishi will take a 7.5% stake in the venture for $18 million, with an option to increase its stake to 25%. The company plans to develop a mine and mineral processing plant in Ontario. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027, with a target of 20,000 tons per year (enough for 300,000 electric vehicles).

Global efforts to decarbonize economies have led to a surge in demand for materials such as lithium. This is due in part to a memorandum of understanding signed last September between Japan and Canada on the stable supply of key minerals. Mitsui has also invested in a mining development company in Quebec to produce graphite, another material used in EV batteries.

Source:. Mitsubishi Corp. to invest US$18 mil. in Canadian lithium mine