Electric vehicle developments move apace; Nissan signs EVs deal in NE
Sun 22 March 2009
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Nissan has signed an agreement with the regional development agency, One North East to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the region. The Nissan development follows a series of other manufacturer and public authority announcements about electric vehicles.
The Industry Secretary, Lord Mandelson, was present at the signing of an agreement which will result in the introduction of a series of incentives and educational programmes designed to help create the first major UK market for electric cars outside London. Nissan said that it will also conduct a feasibility study into manufacturing electric vehicles in the region and installing a charging infrastructure in Newcastle and Sunderland.
While no commitment has been made at this stage, Nissan is understood to be looking to see if its Sunderland plant can be modified to produce electric vehicles alongside conventional models.
Nissan will launch its first electric vehicle in Japan and the US in 2010 before rolling out the technology globally from 2012.
Meanwhile, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Vauxhall, Tesla Motors and Liberty Electric Cars have all made recent announcements about the introduction of electric vehicle technology.
Peugeot is to launch an electric vehicle into the European car market following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. The deal, which builds on an existing collaboration, will see the company launch an electric vehicle intended to go on sale in Europe by the beginning of 2011.
Mitsubishi is also said to be looking into the possibility of launching its i MiEV model, which is currently under development and goes on sale in Japan later this year, in other markets including the US.
Vauxhall has revealed details of its electric plug-in Ampera car which it has confirmed will be sold in the UK. The Ampera will be able to travel up to 40 miles on electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery at least partly from energy produced by its own on-board engine generator. GM says the vehicle's total range (on petrol and electricity) will be more than 300 miles. Production of the new electric vehicle will start in 2012.
The US prestige electric car maker Tesla Motors has announced the introduction of a new electric five-seat sedan which will be produced from 2011. The "Model S" prototype with a lithium-ion battery pack will have a range of 225 miles per charge. The car will cost at least $57,000 before subsidies.
Tesla claims, however, that because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower prices.
Liberty Electric Cars expects production volume for its first vehicle, a re-engineered electric plug-in Range Rover, to top 1,000 a year. The Oxford-based company says that it plans to produce the cars at the Nelson Industrial Estate in Cramlington, North East England. It says it will invest £30m in the project. Liberty, which is in discussions with major suppliers in the region, says it will start manufacturing the cars later this year.
Ford recently announced that it will work with the UK's Smith Electric Vehicles to produce the company's first battery electric vehicle. (See LowCVP news link.)
The company announcements follow shortly after news that the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, is considering the introduction of an electric car hire scheme in London.
The Mayor told the London Assembly at the end of February that a working group he has set up will look at the introduction of a scheme based on the autolib scheme being planned for Paris for 2010.
In the United States, new President Barack Obama has launched two major programs intended to drive the development of the next generation of electric vehicles in the US. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced the release of two competitive calls for up to $2 billion in federal funding for cost-share agreements for manufacturing of advanced batteries and related drive components. The DoE also announced up to $400 million for electric transport demonstration and deployment projects.
The announcements will support the President's goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015.
Meanwhile, in France, there is news that the electric Renault Kangoo van is at the centre of the Le Poste - the French Post Office's - plans to electrify its entire vehicle fleet. Reports suggest that this initiative could involve some 12,000 electric vans alone within the medium term.
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