At Copenhagen's Climate Summit for Mayors, London Mayor Boris Johnson joined leaders of thirteen of the world's largest cities to work together over the next year to make their cities more electric vehicle-friendly. In collaboration with four leading vehicle manufacturers and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), these cities will focus on four key areas to become electric vehicle ready.

London has joined the cities of Bogota, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Sydney to form the 'C40 Electric Vehicle Network' and collectively address four areas of municipal action that are critical to the successful introduction of electric vehicles. Through the C40 Electric Vehicle Network, the cities will:

1. Facilitate the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure and related electricity supply systems in collaboration with local utilities.

2. Work with relevant stakeholders to streamline permitting processes associated with charging equipment to encourage the safe and expeditious installation on customer premises and elsewhere.

3. Coordinate monetary and non-monetary incentives available to the general public and organizations purchasing electric vehicles, and contribute to the package appropriately.

4. Develop and publish a plan to mobilize demand for electric vehicles in city fleets for the period 2010 – 2013 and rally private fleets to the safe end.

"Increasing the number of electric vehicles on our roads is a critical step in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, and cities can lead the way," said President Clinton. "By bringing together cities and private sector companies to make electric vehicles a viable option for every driver, this network will help improve air quality, create more sustainable, good-paying jobs, and establish new models for other cities to follow."

London has committed to purchase more than 1,000 electric vehicles for its fleets and 25,000 charge points by 2015 to support running of a target 100,000 electric vehicles. It has also demonstrated leadership by sharing the experiences of developing its comprehensive electric vehicle delivery plan, a first of its kind, with the C40 Electric Vehicle Network cities.

Network partner Mitsubishi Motors Corporation began sales of its new-generation electric vehicle, the i-MiEV, in Japan this summer and has already delivered approximately 800 of these innovative vehicles to date with plans to roll out the vehicle globally. Nissan will launch a new electric vehicle in 2010 and has already announced the investment in production capacity for 200,000 electric vehicles that will come on line during 2012.

It is expected that the Network will have the biggest impact on private consumers due to the increase in vehicles produced, as demand grows, and the rise in the availability of charging stations across cities. The environmental impact will also be notable as each electric vehicle that displaces a conventional car produces savings of approximately 1.5 tons of CO2 per year, compared to a conventional vehicle. This represents a 62% reduction compared to a petrol-powered car, and a 53% reduction compared to a diesel-powered car.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said, "London has set the standard for the shift to mainstream urban electric vehicles use across the world. City leaders have raised the bar in responding to the challenge of climate change. By committing to adopt electric technology, we are using the collective clout of our procurement power and populations to mobilise global markets. The move to electric vehicles, which emit zero pollution on to our city streets, will have a massive impact on cutting carbon emissions whilst improving air quality and noise levels for our citizens."

Mayor Miller of Toronto and C40 Chair said, "The Electric Vehicle Network demonstrates the power of the C40 as a convener and catalyst for change. Fourteen cities sharing solutions can make more rapid progress than any one city working on its own. This is a terrific example of city governments acting in partnership with the private sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Ritt Bjerregaard, Mayor of Copenhagen said, "Copenhagen is hosting the Climate Summit for Mayors in order to emphasize the pivotal role of cities when it comes to climate change. We are close to the citizens and we deliver the real-time initiatives that matter, such as introducing green vehicles."

As part of C40 cities' commitment to reduce GHG emissions and share best practise, the City of Hong Kong will host a workshop on Electric Vehicles in November 2010.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has established charging stations for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) at neighbourhood parks, including the World Cup Park. Seoul is also planning to start transforming public transportation such as buses and taxis that tend to drive long distances into electric vehicles.

WhatGreenCar 2009

Every Londoner will be no more than one mile from an electric car charge point by 2015, the Mayor Boris Johnson announced this week at the Copenhagen climate summit.

The Mayor revealed detailed plans to deliver a comprehensive network of electric charge points in the capital, supporting the mainstream use of zero carbon-emission electric vehicles.

Johnson was addressing city leaders from around the globe to promote London's advanced plans to make electric cars an everyday feature of life in the capital. London is leading a coalition of major cities working to use their collective clout to create massive global electric vehicle markets through joint procurement commitments.

The charge point plan is the first milestone in the Mayor's over-arching vision to make London the electric capital of Europe. The strategy shows how by 2015 in London, 22,500 charge points will be at workplaces, with 500 on street and 2,000 in public car parks. A strategic network of publicly accessible faster charge points will be installed as part of this coverage at key locations on the road network and motorway service stations.

To further boost consumer confidence, the Mayor announced Transport for London is working with boroughs to launch in 2010 a one stop website and membership scheme for electric vehicle drivers. Currently electric car drivers have to register in every borough they charge up in, whereas this will provide a single point of information and payment option to access charge points across the capital.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "A golden era of clean, green electric motoring is upon us and London is well ahead of cities around the globe in preparing the right conditions for this... There is an urgent need to tackle the risk of serious and irreversible climate change, yet this does not need to be about hair shirt abstinence. I want to pursue radical yet practical steps to cut energy waste. Electric vehicles are a clear example of how technology can provide the solution to the biggest challenge of our generation."

The Mayor announced that after detailed investigations to establish operational requirements, early next year the Greater London Authority will publish a detailed procurement framework to buy 1000 electric vehicles for the GLA group fleet by 2015. The Mayor is seeking funding from the Government to help deliver this major introduction of electric vehicles, recognising the massive potential this has to catalyse the market.

Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport for London, said: "This plan provides the road map to switching on an electric vehicle revolution in London... Not only do electric vehicles produce 50 per cent less carbon emissions than their diesel counterparts, they are also cheaper to run. Increasing the numbers of electric vehicle charging points all over the Capital will provide Londoners with the option to use a more sustainable form of private transport that is also more economical to operate."

The estimated cost of the 25,000 charging points, conversion of the Greater London Authority fleet and other initiatives to kick-start London's electric vehicle revolution is £60million – the Mayor has pledged to fund a third of this. Transport for London is currently working with a number of private and public sector organisations to pull together a consortium to apply for Government infrastructure funding, available from next financial year. This, along with other government funding, would be transformed into electric vehicle charge points from 2010, electric vehicles for the GLA fleet from 2011 and incentives and guidance for businesses to electrify their fleet.

Electric cars will also deliver considerable benefits to the environment by improving air quality, cutting emissions and reducing noise pollution. Sixty-nine per cent of harmful particulate emissions in London come from road transport whereas electric cars have zero emissions when being driven. Electric vehicles also result in between thirty and forty per cent lower carbon emissions than comparable petrol or diesel cars and this will reduce further over time as the amount of energy – which charges the electric vehicles batteries – generated by renewable sources increases.

Manufacturers are investing hundreds of millions to bring a greater choice of vehicles to consumers. Small and medium cars from major car companies are expected in the next few years starting with Mitsubishi iMiEV in 2010 and Renault, Ford, Nissan and Peugeot planning new models by 2012.

The electric vehicle infrastructure strategy launched today is in draft form inviting comments from interested parties by 26 February 2010.

The Greater London Authority

Today at MINI's Oxford plant, forty electric MINI E cars were handed over to their test drivers, who are all members of the public.

This marks the start of two consecutive six-month field trial periods which will evaluate the psychological, social and technical aspects of living with an electric car. The findings will be used both to inform the BMW Group engineering teams, as they create zero emissions vehicles for the future, and the wider world to help guide power providers, policy makers and component manufacturers in their decision making.

The BMW Group has played a pioneering role in the development of sustainable private transport through ever more efficient petrol and diesel power plants. This is being achieved through the comprehensive application of a wide range of technologies, collectively known as Efficient Dynamics. More than 1.6 million cars worldwide have been sold with Efficient Dynamics technology integrated into their design. The company also has a long-term commitment to the development of both hybrid and hydrogen powertrains.

"This is a historic day for MINI and for the BMW Group" said Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group (UK). "It is fitting that the brand with its inspiration in the oil crisis of the 1950s is again at the forefront of energy efficiency with a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

"I would like to thank our partners in the consortium – Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Oxford Brookes University, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council" he added. "It is only through such partnerships of technical, commercial, academic and political competences that we can achieve our goal of sustainable mobility."

The trial is a collaborative effort within a BMW Group UK-led consortium. Additional funding is provided by the Government-backed Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Transport (DFT) as part of a UK-wide programme involving trials of 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles from several manufacturers. Other models being tested by the public inlcude 40 Smart fortewo ed (electric drive) cars and 25 Mitsubhi iMiEVs.

Newspress

The Electric Car Corporation (ECC) and THINK have supplied 75 electric cars to be available for delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this week.

The conference is being hailed as an opportunity for world leaders such as Barack Obama, Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel to agree emission targets post Kyoto. The conference will also showcase technologies such as electric cars that will help countries drive down CO2 emissions.

The 60 Citroen C1 ev'ie cars provided by ECC have been purchased by ChoosEV, a Danish company set up by three of the major electric power companies to promote electric vehicles. The chief executive of ChoosEV, who also is the owner of SIXT rentacar Denmark, Henrik Isaksen, commented: "We are making the C1 ev’ie available through SIXT to a selection of delegates. The ev'ie demonstrates the outstanding performance possible from top grade electric cars; it is a joy to drive and feels just like a 'normal' car."

THINK, the Scandinavian electric vehicle (EV) maker, and its largest fleet customer, Move About, the Norwegian car-share fleet operator, are also providing 15 THINK City courtesy vehicles for use by the COP 15 delegates. THINK CEO, Richard Canny commented: "With a range of up to 180km and zero vehicle emissions, the THINK City has to be the smart choice for visitors to ride in at COP15."

Both Denmark and Norway already provide significant incentives for consumer purchases of electric cars. This is in contrast with the situation in the UK. The government announced last April that there would be up to £5,000 subsidy for electric car purchasers, but this is to be deferred until April 2011. This has resulted in a virtual evaporation of the current UK market for electric cars, as buyers hold on until 2011 to obtain the subsidy.

David Martell Chief executive of ECC explains: "It is very unfortunate that we cannot fully exploit the advanced technology that we have developed in the UK, especially as the government and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, have stated that they wish to fully support a renaissance of the British motor industry by promoting electric vehicles. It is clear that other European Countries, that are providing incentives now, are leaving the UK behind in this area."

ECC expects to sell over 1,000 cars in Scandinavia in 2010 and to meet demand has established a distribution agreement with ChoosEV to market the cars in Denmark. Due to the demand in Scandinavia, ECC in conjunction with ChoosEV has set up a facility in Denmark to assemble the cars for the Scandinavian and German markets. ECC has sold cars in the last 6 months to Germany, France, Luxembourg, Norway, as well as to Denmark.

Sales of the THINK City, the world's first urban EV to be granted certification with the European CE conformity mark and EU homologation requirements, have also started in selected markets, such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Switzerland and most recently, Spain. Vehicles in these countries are primarily sold to municipal fleet holders, governments and utility partners as pilot and demonstration fleets with the support of government incentives.

Newspress

UK-based Elektromotive is to play a pivotal role in the introduction of an electric vehicle (EV) recharging infrastructure in Denmark, with the installation of the first Elektrobay roadside charging stations scheduled for completion in time for this month's COP15 global climate change conference in Copenhagen (7 to 18 December).

Elektromotive has appointed a Danish roll-out partner, CleanCharge Solutions, to carry out the installations, and to lead the ongoing promotion of the Elektrobay recharging technology to legislators and businesses in Denmark.

The first Elektrobays in Denmark will be located in the capital, Copenhagen, and in the city of Odense. These units will be identical to those already installed at more than 200 points in London and around the UK. Further Elektrobays are planned to be installed across Denmark during 2010.

The government officials from 192 countries attending COP15 are widely expected to support fresh collaboration on the uptake of EVs and the deployment of new recharging infrastructures. These initiatives will form part of efforts to define binding new targets for reducing global emissions by 2020.

During the two week climate change conference more than 15,000 delegates will have the opportunity to trial three Elektrobay units that will be on display at the Danish Foreign Ministry Showcase located inside the Bella Centre convention venue.

"This is a crucial moment for the Danish market and the global shift towards zero-emissions motoring," commented Managing Director of Elektromotive, Calvey Taylor-Haw. "Not only is Copenhagen poised to be the hub for climate-change decision making, the country is also taking steps to become a leading market for EV use. Working with CleanCharge as our Danish roll-out partner means Elektromotive will be at the forefront of the country's ambitious EV project from the very outset."

Nils Dullum, CEO of CleanCharge said, "The installation of the first Elektrobay charging stations within an intelligent network represents a new era for the future of motoring in Denmark, and will be crucial to the country's uptake of electric vehicles. An efficient and fully-functioning EV charging infrastructure will show consumers that there is a way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and lower our CO2 emissions, which will benefit future generations."

The Elektrobay has set a global standard for recharging facilities, and continues to be the only fully-operational solution for charging EVs. Other overseas markets currently installing Elektrobay charging stations include Belgium and Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.

Newspress