Spanish motorists have bought just 15 electric cars this year, but Irish electric car firms say they are not worried, writes PADDY COMYN
PROMOTERS OF electric cars in Ireland say they don’t believe they’ll face a tough sell to Irish consumers, despite news that there has been a very poor reaction to electric cars in Spain.
Just 15 plug-in electric cars have been sold this year in Spain, a long way short of the target of 2,000 set by the industry ministry for the year. In April, Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero announced that his government would invest €590 million promoting and developing electric cars over the next two years.
It was hoped that 20,000 electric and hybrid vehicles would be sold by 2011 – including the 2,000 all-electric cars – with a long-term objective of having 250,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in circulation by 2014.
A subsidy scheme of €80 million is already in place to encourage sales, with the government funding 20 per cent of purchases, up to €6,000 per electric car.
In May 2009 it had been announced that 550 of the Norwegian-built Think electric vehicles were to be delivered to Spain in early 2010 as part of a memorandum of understanding it had signed with its Spanish partner Going Green.
Over a year later, just 15 have been sold, delivered for a car-sharing program in Atuan, Spain. The government-backed REVE electric car and wind power project said on its website that it expects the situation to improve quickly: “The figures are similar to what happened in the beginning with personal computers or mobile phones. The first models are expensive and with few options and initial sales were low.”
Demand for the vehicles is likely to increase significantly in Spain with the arrival of mainstream models, including some Renault models, such as the Twizy which will be produced at it plants Valladolid.
The French car company could also build a new plant in the city to build electric car batteries.
“We discussed the possibility that if the electric vehicle has strong demand, a new model that is not the Twizy could be made and the idea of a battery assembly plant in Valladolid,” industry minister Miguel Sebastian said.
So is there a worry that there will be a similarly slow response to the new technology in Ireland?
Paul O’Sullivan, marketing manager of Nissan Ireland, which is taking orders for its Leaf electric vehicle for delivery early next year said Nissan’s only worry is whether they be able to satisfy demand.
“In the last couple of weeks, we have have conducted 400 test drives and have 100 confirmed orders as a result. Since we have only been allocated 1,000 Leaf for next year, we might not be able to meet demand for the car.
“We have the full backing of the Government, who are fully committed to ensuring the success of this new technology in Ireland.”