The agreement underpins a promise to have such vehicles running in significant numbers within two years.
However, the much-hyped agreement is short on specifics, and as yet comes under the 'Memorandum of Understanding' status.
Although lauding Nissan-Renault for 'answering the call' of the Government to take part in its aspiration to the 10 percent target, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan said the State's intentions were 'not product specific'.
Nissan-Renault is already working on similar projects for the Israeli and Danish Governments under its participation in 'Project Better Place'.
Under this, it will provide Danish customers with 100 percent electric vehicles to European standards in 2011, providing zero-emission mobility while at the same time offering driving performance similar to a petrol engine.
Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC, has created an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that both meets the requirements of this electric vehicle and can be mass-produced.
For the ESB, Padraig McManus said the company will roll out a suitable charging network.
There was considerable reaction to the Irish Government announcement. Green Machines, one of the founders of the ETLG (Electric Transport Lobby Group), said the agreement 'removes one of the main barriers to the uptake of electric vehicles in Ireland'.
"Up to now many of the county managers we have approached have presented us with a chicken and egg answer," said company MD Robert Nolan. "Why should they put in points if there are no cars while potential purchasers would say why buy when there are no charging bays? Today this dilemma has been taken out of their hands."
Green Machines offers scooters, cars and vans operated by electricity rather than directly by fossil fuels.
Mitsubishi Motors Ireland is putting a small electric car prototype on test trials in Ireland at the end of this week for two months. The iMIEV (above) is based on Mitsubishi I city car, which normally has a 600cc petrol engine. meanwhile, Mitsubishi globally has doubled its production capacity for the iMiEV to 20,000 units a year by 2011.
Quick off the charging point was Green MEP candidate Senator Deirdre de Burca, who is driving out on the campaign trail with a Smith Edison van supplied by Electric Vehicles Ireland, of Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is the national distributor for Smith Electric Vehicles. MD David Mullen said Ireland has created the 'right environment and the right Government support' to be a global leader in electric vehicle adoption.
At a global level, the planned Chevrolet Volt, which will have an Opel equivalent in the recently shown Ampera concept car (above), is 'stil on track' despite GM's financial woes. These are so-called extended range vehicles, which will have a petrol engine on board to charge the battery for longer than commuter trips.
Chrysler, which is also working on extended range cars, has just signed an agreement with A123Systems, a US-based battery supplier, for advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion prismatic battery cells, and jointly developed battery modules and battery packs. If a proposed link between Chrysler and Fiat goes ahead, this could also see the technologies 'reversing' into Fiat in Europe. Brian Byrne.
Advt
