Nissan International S.A. has formed an alliance with Renault S.A. and the regional government of Castilla y León to promote carbon neutral transportation in the region through the deployment of electric vehicles and their accompanying electric vehicle infrastructure.
The multinational automakers formalized the Renault-Nissan Alliance under a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties, which states that Nissan will deliver electric vehicles to Castilla y León from 2011 onwards.
“Three affordable pure electric vehicles from the alliance will launch in Castilla y León this year, starting with the award-winning Nissan LEAF,» said Pierre Loing, head of Nissan International’s zero emission business branch in Europe and vice president of product planning and strategy.
Additionally, the Japanese car company will help define and validate electric vehicle charging devices in the region to guarantee their compatibility with current and future regulations. The regional government expects to deploy 900 public charging points by 2015.
The first 300 vehicles would be scattered along the region’s streets while the remaining 600 will be established in underground parking areas. The local government may also install quick charging points according to the local demand.
About 100 charging points are expected to be in place by then of 2011, with 40 charging points located above ground and 60 in underground parking lots.
The local government also plans to offer financial and non-financial incentives to bolster the demand for electric vehicles, including tax credits and funding assistance for home charging units.
“Our Regional Strategy for E.V.’s includes measures to boost consumer demand and industrial activities linked to such cars. We are also investing in the necessary charging infrastructure to guarantee the success of this new mode of transportation,” said Tomas Villanueva, economic vice president of the regional government of Castilla y León.
Global partnership
This initiative is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance plan to advance in the global carbon-neutral transport market. Currently, the alliance has participated in over 90 partnerships with governments, municipal authorities and companies around the globe.
The alliance has also formed partnerships with other jurisdictions in Spain in line with this plan. These include the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, the city council of Sevilla, the government of Cataluña and the regional government of Andalucía.
