16 December 2020
Nissan’s Blue Switch project unlocks the energy stored in car batteries to help people hit by earthquakes, typhoons or other emergencies.
Outside, there are the familiar scenes of devastation: Rubble. Mud. Broken power lines. But inside the volunteer centre in Nagano Prefecture in the heart of Japan, power tools are charging, a photocopy machine whirrs, and the smells of boiled rice and fresh coffee fill the air. In the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, those working at the centre have found an unexpected way to plug in: the white Nissan LEAF parked outside. It can charge tools, like an impact driver or a circular saw, which we use to remove walls or floors damaged by the flood, says Ryosho Hara.