The French government has said it plans to spend EUR1.5bn to create a battery-charging network for electric vehicles as part of a plan to encourage the development of cleaner vehicle technology.
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Under the plans the government will make the installation of charging sockets in office parking lots mandatory by 2015 while new apartment blocks with parking lots will have to include charging stations from 2012.
Speaking at a presentation of the government’s plans for electric vehicles, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the planned investment would be split between pilot projects, battery production and bonuses for carmakers building green cars.
The investment would also include adapting the electricity grid to allow for the creation of a million charging points by 2015 and over 4 million by 2020.
A group of public and private fleet operators has already identified a need to purchase 50,000 electric vehicles through 2015, Borloo said. The government reckons that by pooling purchasing there is potential to reach a fleet of 100,000 vehicles by that date.
The plan also calls for the creation of a battery manufacturing factory at Renault’s Flins facility, at a cost of EUR625m, of which EUR125m will be contributed by the French state’s strategic investment fund.
The plant will have an annual production capacity of 100,000 batteries and will supply other French electric vehicle manufacturers, including PSA Peugeot-Citroen.
Peugeot-Citroen chief executive Philippe Varin said his company will have four small electric vehicles ready for sale in 2010, including two small city cars, one of which will be based on a vehicle that Peugeot-Citroen will be buy in from Mitsubishi Motors Corp., as well as small utility vehicles for both brands.
Renault’s chief operating officer Patrick Pelata said Renault will have four mass-market electric vehicles on sale in 2011 and 2012.
