One of the major drawbacks of electric cars is the lack of national recharging networks. Run out of juice on a journey and most locals will be loathe to let you plug into their mains – especially with energy prices so high. But now Renault and Nissan have announced that Portugal will have a nationwide electric car recharging network built in the next three years.
Portugal has struck a deal with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to explore zero-emissions mobility. The country will install 1300 vehicle charging point by the end of 2011 and offer tax incentives to individuals and businesses buying electric vehicles. From 2011, the Portuguese government has pledged a fifth of public fleet vehicles must be zero-emissions.
What about other countries?
In addition to Portugal, similar partnerships are being developed in France, Israel and Denmark. The infrastructure changes coincide with Renault/Nissan’s proposed timetable; it will launch electric cars in Portugal in 2011 and globally from 2012.
Interestingly, the alliance insists these charging networks will be compatible with all manufacturers’ electric cars, not just Renault-Nissan products…
>> Click here for CAR’s drive of Nissan’s latest EV-02 electric car
