TOKYO & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 19, 2025--
Ample will deploy a network of swapping stations in Tokyo, with an initial focus on supporting commercial fleets in the logistics sector. This expansion of Ample’s swapping network will provide additional swapping coverage and capacity, with each station able to support over 100 vehicles. The initiative, backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Public Corporation, will advance Tokyo's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 by offering additional charging solutions for the city's millions of commercial vehicles.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250319728282/en/
In early 2024, Ample entered the Japanese market by deploying battery swapping stations in Kyoto in partnership with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and ENEOS Holdings. The Kyoto deployment demonstrated core benefits of modular battery swapping for fleet electrification, including fast energy delivery, minimizing changes to fleet operations, and reducing load on the electric grid by slowly charging the batteries in the swapping station.
“Tokyo is one of the world’s most advanced cities in sustainable urban development and one of the largest markets for commercial deliveries, making it the perfect place for our next deployments as we expand our presence in Japan,” said Khaled Hassounah, CEO of Ample. “By providing a fast and scalable solution for commercial fleets, we’re helping the City of Tokyo set an example for how densely populated cities can electrify. We’re honored that the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Public Corporation has selected Ample and its Japanese partners to demonstrate the potential of EV battery swapping.”
Japan is a global leader in automotive manufacturing, and since the 1970s, the sector has been a cornerstone of the Japanese economy. However, in recent years, Japan has been slow to adopt electric vehicles. Obstacles to electrification include long charging times, power limitations, and space constraints in dense Japanese cities. Battery swapping provides a fast and convenient way to power EVs, similar to the refueling experience at a gas station. Importantly, the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will bring their innovation and leadership in electric vehicles to the demonstration. MFTBC is known for its leadership role advancing zero emission commercial vehicles. MMC pioneered one of the world’s first mass-produced EVs and is a trusted mobility provider for urban logistics.
Ample manufactures and operates a modular battery swapping ecosystem which fully charges EVs in five minutes, providing fleet operators with a seamless alternative to gas-powered fueling stations. Ample’s modular batteries are designed to be a drop-in replacement for the original EV battery, making the technology compatible with most EV models. The company’s compact, rapidly deployable stations can be installed in just a few days, providing a practical solution for high-utilization vehicles operating in dense urban environments like Tokyo.
To see a video of how Ample’s battery swapping stations operate, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QeQ3VM4A4w
(Photo: Business Wire)
SHANGHAI (AP) — Ex-Formula 1 team owner and media personality Eddie Jordan has died, according to a statement by his family. He was 76.
Often known simply as “EJ,” he ran his own Jordan team in the 1990s and 2000s in F1. His humor, strong opinions and often extravagant dress sense made Jordan a popular pundit on TV after selling the team in 2005.
Jordan was undergoing treatment for what he had called “quite aggressive” cancer of the bladder and prostate which spread to his spine and pelvis.
The family statement, published by rugby club London Irish, where Jordan was a patron, said he “passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town” early Thursday.
“EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went. We all have a huge hole missing without his presence. He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tonnes of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow.”
F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali, who was a senior Ferrari employee when Jordan owned his team, said Jordan was “a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed.”
“With his inexhaustible energy he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times.”
Irish businessman Jordan operated his own racing team in lower-level series before moving up to F1 in 1991, giving future seven-time champion Michael Schumacher his first race that year.
Christian Horner, then a young driver dreaming of F1 and now Red Bull team principal, recalled the advice he got from Jordan in 1991: “Get a good sponsor … welcome to the Piranha Club!” F1 has “lost a legend,” Horner said.
Jordan gave Schumacher his break in F1 because his regular driver Bertrand Gachot was sentenced to prison for assaulting a London taxi driver. The then-22-year-old Schumacher was with the team for only a single race before Benetton signed him in controversial circumstances.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Eddie Jordan. Eddie was a great individual, who for decades always brought a smile to the entire F1 paddock," said Flavio Briatore, who then ran Benetton and became a close friend of Jordan, and is now executive adviser at Alpine.
"I have fond memories of the time spent on and off the track with Eddie, and his presence across the entire F1 world will be greatly missed.”
Other Jordan drivers over the years included Damon Hill, who won the 1996 championship with Williams and gave Jordan its first win in torrential rain in 1998, future Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who was third in the championship for Jordan in 1999.
Jordan Grand Prix won four races before Jordan sold the team in 2005. Following more sales and name changes since then, the team competes as Aston Martin.
“Eddie Jordan was one of the all-time motorsport greats. He was a one-off, a wonderful human being, and a charismatic leader who founded this team and took it to F1 in 1991,” Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell said in a statement.
“His vision laid the foundations for us and he leaves a lasting legacy for the entire motorsport community.”
Jordan also acted as the manager for car design great Adrian Newey when he left Red Bull for Aston Martin last year.
When he revealed his cancer diagnosis last year, Jordan used it as an opportunity to urge listeners of his podcast to follow up on any health concerns.
“This is a little message to everybody listening to this, don’t waste or put it off,” he said. “Go and get tested, because in life you have got chances. Go and do it. Don’t be stupid. Don’t be shy. Look after your body, guys.”
AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Duesseldorf, Germany, contributed.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Eddie Jordan poses for a photo with former soccer player Pele, Nov. 6, 1998. (Sean Dempsey/PA via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Nigel Mansell, right, speaks with Jordan-Peugeot team owner Edddie Jordan of Ireland on the pit wall at the Montmelo circuit in Barcelona Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1996. (AP Photo/Cesar Rangel, File)
FILE - Germany's Ralf Schumacher, left, poses for a photo with Jordan Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan at the launch of the new seasons car in London January 30, 1997. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, right, of Britain shares a light moment with Eddie Jordan, owner of Jordan Grand Prix, which raced in Formula One from 1991 to 2005, as he arrives for the first practice session for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
FILE - Eddie Jordan, former Formula One driver and team owner, listens during a press conference during a Moscow City Racing 2013 along the Moscow Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr, File)
FILE - Eddie Jordan, center, poses for a photo with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli, Jan. 31, 2000. (Matthew Fearn/PA via AP, File)
FILE - Eddie Jordan enjoys a pint of Guinness at the Toucan Bar after learning he is to be made an Officer of the British Empire, in London, March 28, 2012. (Anthony Devlin/PA via AP, File)
