EU nations agreed Tuesday on the need to develop a standardized system for recharging electric cars throughout Europe by next year as part of efforts to convince sceptical consumers.
EU nations agreed Tuesday on the need to develop a standardized system
for recharging electric cars throughout
Europe
by next
year as part of efforts to convince sceptical consumers.
The union's 27 industry ministers, meeting in
Brussels
, said
it was a priority to develop "a harmonized solution for the
interoperability between electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure."
It was also important to address safety risks and electromagnetic
compatibility, they said.
Harmonization across Europe is of "key importance in order to ensure that
electric vehicles can be recharged, domestically or at public station points
without difficulty within the territory of the EU and with the use of any
electric vehicle charger" by mid-2011, a joint agreement stressed.
Such a standardized and easy-to-use system "is a prerequisite for consumer
acceptance and, subsequently, the mass market uptake of electric
vehicles," the statement said.
Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian, whose country holds the EU's
rotating presidency, said he was "very satisfied" with the adopted
strategy, and in particular the timeframe, as a way of ending "the big
differences on the future of the electric car" in the EU.
However, for the technology to be widely accepted, the cars themselves will
have to come with a reasonable price tag, enough battery power to make them
feasible and an easy method of recharging, he said.
The ministers agreed that while regular petrol and diesel engines "will
remain dominant in the short and medium-term perspective", electric and
future hydrogen vehicles were a "highly promising ultra-low-carbon"
technology.
Their wide introduction could cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce
Europe
's
dependency on fossil fuels.
Another benefit was reduced noise on the streets, although this could present
the danger of pedestrians or other drivers being less aware of an approaching
vehicle, they said.
Sebastian said the European ministers agreed there would have to be suggestions
on how to deal with this.
France
's
Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said the broad lines of pan-European norms
for electric cars should be in place before the end of the year.
On pricing, the EU Commission was to propose financial incentives for buying
greener vehicles.
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