France aims for 2 million EVs by 2020
France hopes to have 2 million electric cars on the road by 2020, and its energy minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, will on Thursday launch a plan designed to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place in time.
The French state will invest more than 1 billion euros, installing charging stations, adapting the electricity grid and buying vehicles, as well as providing subsidies to buyers and manufacturers, Paris Match reported on Wednesday.
The government wants to build up a network of 4.4 million charging points by 2020, or enough to support 2 million vehicles.
French industry minister Mr Christian Estrosi said public and private players would launch tenders for 50,000 electric vehicles during the autumn.
French manufacturers Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen are both launching electric cars, such as the Peugeot iOn (pictured) but their forecasts of the likely market for the vehicles differ.
Philippe Varin, CEO of PSA, which displayed the Peugeot iOn, based on partner Mitsubishi's iMiEV, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, said earlier this month that he expected about 1 in 20 cars sold worldwide by 2020 to be electric.
Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, meanwhile, who is also CEO of Japanese alliance partner Nissan, is sticking by a forecast of 1 in 10 electric cars by 2020.
With Reuters
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