Spanish government’s plans for an electric revolution

As the world begins to get to grips with the thorny problem of planning for a future based on sustainable energy, the Spanish government puts forward a number of initiatives that should propel the country into a new era of petrol and diesel-free motoring.

Firstly, the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville have been chosen as the venues for no less than 546 electric charging stations that will hopefully persuade motorists to surrender their gas-guzzlers in favour of more environmentally friendly electric cars. Since the availability of sufficient charging points has been frequently raised by critics keen to pour cold water on the viability of alternative modes of transport, this forward thinking project should begin to demonstrate the possibilities inherent in this brave new world.

Yet this is only the first step in a long-term initiative, which includes a massive subsidy of up to 20 million euros for the purchase of electric vehicles, including buses and trucks. For motorbikes and cars the subsidy ranges from 750 to 7,000 euros, or roughly 15 to 20 per cent of the price of the vehicle.

Plan Movele has inspired the targeted cities’ mayors to speak up in favour of the scheme. Madrid’s alcalde, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, has promised free parking for electric cars from the beginning of 2010 while Seville’s mayor, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín, is planning reductions in tax for electric cars of up to 75 per cent.

Anyone interested in buying an electric vehicle is advised to visit the website of the relevant ministry’s Institute for Energy Saving and Diversification at www.idae.es which contains an extensive list of participating dealerships.

New post on at Monday, 19 October, 2009, 6:14 am and is archived in Classic cars, Lifestyle, News about Spain. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.