The M-Tech Labo 1 was developed by Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Electric, with the Tokyo Institute of Technology as an advisor, and is one of four smart grid initiatives authorised by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

When demand is low, the unit can store power from renewable sources in rechargeable batteries and supply it back to the grid during periods of peak demand. Mitsubishi said using electric vehicle batteries for this would minimise the cost associated with blackout backup systems based on dedicated battery units.

During this fiscal year, the company will use the unit to reduce the energy fluctuation of its plant in Nagoya, Japan, and to test its EIS (Electric vehicle Integration System) which uses data about EV battery charges to work out how much energy is available as a backup.