SMAS partners with Sumitomo Warehouse to give EVs a second life

Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service (SMAS) has started supplying used electric vehicles to a group company of The Sumitomo Warehouse, creating a reuse model for corporate fleet electrification.

The collaboration involves SMAS providing “Reuse EVs” to Sumikura Tatemono Service, part of the Sumitomo Warehouse group. The move supports Sumitomo Warehouse’s goal to achieve a 100% electric vehicle fleet by fiscal year 2030 as part of its climate action strategy. While the company has already installed charging infrastructure at 20 locations nationwide, the high cost of new EVs presented a challenge to a full-scale transition.

In response, SMAS proposed its Reuse EV scheme. The vehicles are not sourced from the open used car market. Instead, SMAS provides carefully selected vehicles from its own portfolio of cars that have reached the end of their lease term and have received regular maintenance from the company. This ensures a high standard of quality and reliability for their second life.

The company acknowledges that while the battery performance of used EVs is lower than that of new models, they remain fully capable for many business applications, paving the way for second and even third-use cycles. SMAS is already promoting the adoption of Reuse EVs through partnership agreements with 10 municipalities across Japan. Based on the outcomes of these public-sector trials, the company plans to expand the service to private sector companies in a wide range of industries.