Developed from the experimental "Smart Denchi-kun" battery railcar tested on the Karasuyama Line in 2012, the two-car EV-E301 series train operates as an electric multiple unit (EMU) under the 1,500 V DC overhead wire of the Tohoku Main Line between Utsunomiya and Hōshakuji, and on battery power over the 20 kilometers non-electrified Karasuyama Line.