Yokohama city, in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan, is one of six municipalities chosen by Japan’s Prime Minister Fukuda to be a “Model City.” A total of 82 applications by 89 organizations were made from all over Japan to this program where the Government provides assistance to various municipalities to set a precedent for a “low-carbon society.”
But, Yokohama can’t do this alone. The city is in agreement with Renault-Nissan, who will release their electric vehicle in Yokohama in 2010. The agreement with Nissan also calls for feasibility studies of customer incentives and for the city to develop an electric vehicle recharging infrastructure and a navigation system that can be used to alleviate traffic congestion. Under the program, Yokohama aims to achieve significant CO2 reductions by experimenting with a range of methodologies in various key areas including transportation, housing and renewable energy development.
