50,000 Electric Vehicles: France Commits to Infrastructure & Production

Deployment plan for hybrid and electric vehicles: commitment from 12 local governments to install charging infrastructures starting from 2010 and announced the legal creation of the consortium which will place the order of 50,000 electric vehicles with a range of at least 150km.

The French government presents the progress of its hybrid and electric vehicles deployment plan.

Special thanks to Philippe Reboul – organiser of Australia’s first Electric Vehicle Conference – for the translation of the announcement

13 APRIL 2010, PARIS:

Deployment plan for hybrid and electric vehicles: commitment from 12 local governments to install charging infrastructures starting from 2010 and launch of the first order for 50,000 electric vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO, Minister for the Environment, Energy, Sustainability and the Sea, in charge of

Green Technology and Climate Change negotiations, and Christian ESTROSI, Minister for the Industry have signed on 13 April a charter with 12 “pilot” local governments and car manufacturers Renault and Peugeot, committing over the deployment from 2010 of public charging infrastructures for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO presented on 1 October 2009, a national plan with 14 concrete actions to facilitate the development of rechargeable electric and hybrid vehicles.

Thanks to the mobilization of all stakeholders, this plan is showing major progress, especially in 3 areas: deployment of charging infrastructures, support toward demand and incentive toward vehicle purchase.

1. Commitment from regional councils toward the deployment of public charging infrastructures

for electric and hybrid vehicles

The massive and rapid market commercialization of low carbon vehicles in less than 9 months requires on the ground deployment of public charging infrastructures. The project of the « Grenelle 2 » law which will be examined by the National Assembly next month, planned to transfer this competency to regional councils and their departments or working groups.

Meanwhile, the charter signed today 13 April, allows anticipating the following:

• The French State commits to develop operational recommendations for the deployment of public

charging infrastructures, which will be gathered in a Green Book to be published in October 2010. It will also define the financing arrangements planned within the framework of the Great Loan set up to support local governments.

• These « pilot » local governments commit to implement from 2010 the deployment of public charging

infrastructures. These « pilot » councils are : Bordeaux, Grenoble, Rennes, Nice, Angoulême, Aix-en-

Provence region, Orléans, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Le Havre and the greater Nancy.

• The car manufacturers Renault and PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) commit towards the commercialization of 60 000 electric vehicles in France in 2011-2012, targeting especially the councils which develop a sufficient charging infrastructure network.

2. Launch of the first large grouped order for 50,000 electric vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO announced the legal creation of the consortium which will place the order of 50,000 electric vehicles with a range of at least 150km.

It is about guaranteeing French car manufacturers with a demand sufficient to allow them to launch the production of electric vehicles, safely and at industrial scale.

This consortium is lead by the French post, La Poste, and gathers 20 private and public organisations in transport, construction, water, environment and large fleet owners: ADP (Paris Airports), Air France, AREVA, Bouygues, EDF, ERDF, Eiffage, France Télécom, GDF-Suez, Suez Environnement, GRT Gaz, GRDF, La Poste, RATP (Paris transports), SAUR, SNCF, SPIE, UGAP (Public purchasing group), Vinci and Veolia.

The tender procedure will start on April 23 by a competitive dialog with car manufacturers in order to allow the emergence of the best proposals.

The Ministers have also confirmed today the super-bonus of 5000 euros for the purchase of electric vehicles until 2012.

This legislation will provide a 5000 euros incentive to anyone who purchases a vehicle with CO2 emission lower or equal to 60 g/km.

For consumers, this is the guarantee that electric vehicles will cost them the same as conventional vehicles.

It should be noted that hybrid vehicles with emissions lower or equal to 135 g/CO2/km benefit from a 2000 bonus as well as LPG or LNG vehicles.

Contact info@rblconsulting.com.au to purchase a copy of the complete translation of the signed Charter (6p) and the full Press file (16p) providing more details about the French government’s EV strategy and financial commitment, vehicle types, batteries plants, charging infrastructures, and stakeholders. Or visit his website.

Source: www.rblconsulting.com.au