Several companies and government bodies are expected to join, including 20 non-Japanese firms such as PG&E Corp, Enel SpA, Endesa, and PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Electric vehicles (EV’s) are seen as one solution to meeting stricter environmental regulations because they have low emissions. They also face hurdles such as costly batteries and a limited driving distance compared with conventional cars, as well as the lack of infrastructure to recharge when away from home. Forming a common standard for fast-charging electric cars across various brands would save development costs for carmakers and ancillary industries, said the group.

"We will compete when it comes to vehicle performance, but we should cooperate on areas such as infrastructure," said Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga.
Mitsubishi Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru-brand cars, are the world's only mass-volume automakers now producing battery-run electric cars, with sales so far limited to corporate and government fleets in Japan.

"There are 1,000 electric cars and 150 fast-charge stations in Japan already. Our aim is to form a standard in Japan and make use of that in the world." Stated TEPCO’s Hiroyuki Ino recently.
He said the group would lobby international bodies such as the Society of Automotive Engineers and the International Transport Forum to promote its technology.