Honda Motors wants to know if “electromotive” tech can truly improve quality of life for people, and in order to find out, it needs real-world information on scooters, automobiles (electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids) and solar power charging stations in real-world urban environments–information which a number of different Japanese cities and regions have recently signed on to provide.

Honda’s Electric Vehicle Testing Program is slated to begin with Kumamoto Prefecture and its cooperating municipalities–Kumamoto City and Minimata City, as well as the Aso and Amakuso areas–which will be helping Honda to explore “potential quality of life benefits of next-generation personal mobility.”

image via Honda Motors

As part of the program, municipalities will test out Monpal ML200 electric carts for the general use of senior citizens, a rental program of EV-neo scooters to local residents and tourists (as well as high school students) and also ideal locations for solar charging facilities on Prefacture-owned property.

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