The Wall Street Journal wrote that the French government plans to spend EUR 1.5 billion (about USD 2.2 billion) on developing a network of one-million electric vehicle (EV) battery-charging stations by 2015. France hopes the station network will provide a massive boost to clean energy and battery technology development. The network will roll out in stages – new apartment blocks with parking lots will be required include charging stations by 2012; office parking lots will need to include charging sockets by 2015.
According to Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, the French government has pushed a group of public and private fleet operators to purchase 50,000 vehicles by 2015. The Green Car Web site notes the government is hoping that La Poste, EPA, Air France, EDF Energy, France Telecom will pool resources and commit to buying up to 100,000 vehicles in the same time frame. To encourage the public to get on board, France is offering a “EUR 5,000 grant to buy vehicles with CO2 emissions less than or equal to 60g/km until 2012. Hybrids, LPG or natural gas vehicles with emissions less than or equal to 135g/km may also benefit from a EUR 2,000 bonus.” The rapid expansion of EV car usage is crucial to making the massive EV infrastructure investment worthwhile.
Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen are all involved in the program, and may benefit as well. The Renault SA facility will build a new EUR 625 million-battery manufacturing factory, which will receive a EUR 125 million commitment from France’s strategic investment fund. The factory will supply some 100,000 batteries to French EV producers, including Peugeot-Citroen. The Wall Street Journal notes that Peugeot-Citroen will have four EVs on the market by 2010. Renault will also release four EVs by 2012.
Renault and Nissan together plan to invest a total of EUR 4 billion in EV technology.
Borloo argues that the EVs will generate “EUR 15 billion of business activity between now and 2030.” EVs will also reduce “France’s energy imports by 4 million tons of oil equivalent by 2020, while cutting carbon dioxide (C02) emissions by 17.5 million tons.”
Read the article and details on France’s 14 point EV plan.
Image credit: Inhabitat
