Portugal pushing for more EVs in 2011
Photo by Tiseb. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
Nissan and Renault are slowly and surely moving from dark horse contenders to real players in the electric vehicle space. The partnership's latest target is Portugal, which will see pure EVs from Nissan-Renault in 2011, according to the International Herald Tribune. Nissan will sell an EV in Portugal for €25,000 that year, the paper says, which would mean the cost would be on par with a 1.6 liter ICE car today. Impressive, most impressive.
For its part, the Portuguese government will help with the infrastructure end of things, particularly a bunch of quick-charging stations that can fill up a battery in 20 minutes or less in the big cities of Lisbon and Porto as well as along some motorways. Some EV advocates are suggesting that Portugal should not tax the zero-emission cars in order to encourage people to move towards electron-powered private transportation.
[Source: International Herald Tribune via EV World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Raf 7:07PM (12/03/2008)
Great news!!! For once something good is projected to Portugal! Can't wait to drive a electric car in my country.
I just wished that they could bring those cars sooner, 'cause i'm tired of paying 4.28 (or more)euros/gallon and seeing the fuel gauge go down down down...
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Zeph 8:14PM (12/03/2008)
I can't really see the portuguese government not taxing something, they are just too parasitical for that. Still, this is better than nothing I suppose, although I would be more confortable with them just letting the market decide, instead of being such a weight on private enterprise that only big business in concert with government have any sort of market opportunity.
That said, I can see myself driving an electric car. I would also love to see Portugal, my country too, investing in alcohol and biodiesel, so we could in the transition period convert the existing automobiles to something more environmentally sustainable. Portugal, for it's population, has an immense amount of arable land and sufficient water. And let's not forget kelp based products, since we have so much sea.
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David Cabral 9:24PM (12/03/2008)
I would love to see this rolled out in the Azores and Madeira. Quite possible that these island groups can live without diesel or gasoline if everyone on the islands used Electric vehicles. O futuro é nosso!
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Luis Sardinha 3:32AM (12/04/2008)
Actually, by law, EV cars don't pay tax when the car is bought (IA) nor the annual tax.
For the next year, the hybrid cars pass from 40% reduction do 0 on IA the tax.
However, this joint venture between Portugal and Nissan-Renault doesn't seem very attractive because the automaker want that companies invest in a recharging station that only fit to this automaker! I don't know if they are wiling to do so...
Lets wait and see.
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André 2:26PM (12/04/2008)
It is nice to hear about this in my country, but:
- Were the car will be constructed?
- Were come from the brain power to do so?
- Will employ Portuguese people?
Because if it only will be "electric car" not noting to employee Portuguese people... hum.. it is boll shit!
I give you an example we have many wind mills but the most part are from forage investors... the only thing that is Portuguese is the wind :) solar energy is other example;)
25€ e a real deal of money... by that money we can by a diesel Golf that makes 4litres to 100km;) or convert ours gasoline cars to GPL (but in this criteria the government don't invest because the price is less than halt the gasoline)... for a car that have limited range... :\ is expensive because:
- Battery have limited rang
- Battery have limited life (so when you want to sell the car if the batteries are dead who will bye???)
- It is imperative to have Battery chargers in many many local´s not only in the 2 big cities...
- we have to think whit brain Latins!
For my till this time this is MARKETING! we have GPL form reserves that are stable... not From Russia!
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