Portugal and Renault-Nissan sign electric car deal; Australia launches 'greener car plan'
Mon 24 November 2008
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The Portugese Government has signed a deal with Renault-Nissan to create a national network of 1300 electric vehicle charging stations within three years. The vehicles will be provided by Renault-Nissan. Meanwhile, the Australian Government has announced a series of measures under its 'New Car Plan for a Greener Future'.
Under the agreement in Portugal, the first 230 recharging stations will be in operation by 2010. From 2011, 20 percent of the vehicles procured by public institutions are intended to be electric vehicles able to use the new charging infrastructure.
Commenting on the scheme, Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates said: "Portugal will pioneer zero-emission mobility. By using electric vehicles, we will be able to reduce our dependency on oil, improve the security of energy supply, reduce CO2 emissions and offer resilient, sustainable mobility."
Meanwhile, the Government of Australia has announced a series of measures designed to 'green' the country's cars. A grant of $2,000 will be provided by the Government to buyers of new cars factory-fitted to run on LPG.
Under a pre-existing subsidy scheme for conversion to LPG, worth $1,000 per vehicle, about 110,000 LPG-converted vehicles have been bought so far in 2008, up from 40,000 before the scheme was introduced in 2006.
Other key elements of the scheme include a $3.4 billion 'Automotive Transformation Scheme' providing grants for manufacturers investing in plant or research and development; a $1.3 billion 'Green Car Innovation Fund' offering grants for car makers to build low-emission vehicles in Australia and a $116.3 million 'Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program' for component makers to merge and to help sacked workers.
In additional measures, the tariff on imported cars will be cut from 10 to 5 per cent in 2010 and $26.3 million will be provided to help component makers take advantage of global supply chains and to lobby for better access for Australian cars to export markets.
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