Sanyo sets up solar parking lots for bikes


CSA Z463 Electrical Maintenance -

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 6 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$249
Coupon Price:
$199
Reserve Your Seat Today

Sanyo eneloop solar charging stations power pedal-assist e-bikes via rooftop photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion storage, provide LED parking-lot lighting, enable emergency power outlets, and support regenerative braking for community riders in Tokyo's Setagaya ward.

 

Understanding the Story

Off-grid photovoltaic hubs with lithium-ion storage charge eneloop e-bikes, light parking areas, and provide power.

  • Lithium-ion storage charges up to 100 eneloop e-bikes
  • Rooftop photovoltaic panels generate power, even on rainy days
  • LED lighting illuminates parking lots at night
  • Regenerative braking via front-hub dynamotor
  • Emergency outlets supply external equipment power

 

Japanese electronics giant Sanyo said it had opened two "solar parking lots" in Tokyo where 100 electric hybrid bicycles can be recharged from sunlight-powered panels.

 

The system uses lithium-ion batteries, a step toward industrial solar storage, to charge 100 of Sanyo's "eneloop" bikes, with enough power left over to also illuminate the parking lot with LED lights at night.

The concept is a "completely independent and clean system eliminating the use of fossil fuels", including novel ideas like Nissan's EV parking deal today, said Sanyo Electric Co, which has emerged as a leader in solar and other alternative energy technologies.

The two lots, which also feature electric outlets to power external equipment in an emergency, were set up near commuter train lines in Tokyo's Setagaya ward as the city rolls out more car recharging sites across the city, where the cycles will be parked for community use.

The charging points rely on rooftop photovoltaic panels, much like a solar-powered EV station in Brooklyn, and Sanyo said the system also works on rainy days.

The eneloop "peddle-assist" bike features a "dynamotor" built into the hub of the front wheel, which charges a battery when the bicycle is cruising downhill or a rider is braking, a concept also explored by rechargeable taxis in Tokyo.

The bicycle's electric motor kicks in when a rider pedals, providing a virtual wind at one's back and making inclines feel more like flat terrain. There is a power boost mode for particularly steep climbs.

 

Related News

Related News

Biden calls for 100 percent clean electricity by 2035. Here’s how far we have to go.

Biden Clean Energy Plan 2035 accelerates carbon-free electricity with renewables, nuclear, hydropower, and biomass, invests…
View more

Opinion: Cleaning Up Ontario's Hydro Mess - Ford government needs to scrap the Fair Hydro Plan and review all options

Ontario Hydro Crisis highlights soaring electricity rates, costly subsidies, nuclear refurbishments, and stalled renewables in…
View more

Ermineskin First Nation soon to become major electricity generator

Ermineskin First Nation Solar Project delivers a 1 MW distributed generation array with 3,500 panels,…
View more

Texas's new set of electricity regulators begins to take shape in wake of deep freeze, power outages

Texas PUC Appointments signal post-storm reform as Gov. Greg Abbott taps Peter Lake and advances…
View more

How the dirtiest power station in western Europe switched to renewable energy

Drax Biomass Conversion accelerates renewable energy by replacing coal with wood pellets, sustainable forestry feedstock,…
View more

Disrupting Electricity? This Startup Is Digitizing Our Very Analog Electrical System

Solid-State AC Switching reimagines electrification with silicon-based, firmware-driven controls, smart outlets, programmable circuit breakers, AC-DC…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified