UK council agrees electric car roadmap deal

Milton Keynes Council has signed a deal with car manufacturers Nissan and Renault designed to create a roadmap for the adoption of electric vehicles in the city.

Under the agreement, the local authority will support the development of hundreds of public charging points, plus a further 2,000 points in private homes.

Meanwhile, the Nissan-Renault Alliance will offer residents special incentives such as free parking and free battery top-ups to make the switch from petrol and diesel-powered cars.

Nissan is expected to launch its electric model, the Leaf, in the UK at the start of 2011. Renault's ZE range of electric automobiles is set to follow midway through the year.

Milton Keynes Council chief executive David Hill said that he was "delighted" with the partnership, adding that it will give residents the chance to be at the "forefront of electric vehicle use".

"We have always been a pioneer for green technologies and initiatives, and this agreement is yet another positive step for Milton Keynes as a showcase low carbon city," he commented.

Nissan and Renault recently announced a three-way alliance with Daimler that will see the companies work together on the development of electric designs.

Carl Atkinson, expert in Transport at PA Consulting Group comments:"The migration from fossil fuel based vehicles to electric powered vehicles, as occurring in Milton Keynes and other areas funded through the government's Plugged in Places Programme, can only be welcomed.  We must, however, be wary of expecting too much too soon.The provision of charging points poses a number of interesting challenges, not least the different voltage requirements, the provision on inter-urban charging points and the timing of demand on the network.At a more systematic level and assuming that there is a rapid switch, there remains the interesting issue of how we generate sufficient 'clean' electricity over the next few years to power the switch which is occurring not only on our roads but also on our railways."

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