• The Ministry of Industry, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), car manufacturers and auxiliary-car industries, energy and energy infrastructure companies, as well as information and communication technology (ICT) companies have all signed a Memorandum stating all the stakeholders’ tasks.
• They have all decided to create a working team made up by the representatives of all the signing parties carrying out different tasks. These will culminate with the elaboration of a comprehensive plan, to be directed by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, led by Minister Sebastián. The plan is to be presented during the first quarter of 2010.
• The Summit on Electric Vehicles has been attended by the presidents and main directors of different firms and business associations in the following sectors: automobile, information and communication technologies, energy and electric infrastructures.

Minister Sebastián, presided over the Summit on Electric Vehicles, a forum that has been attended by the presidents and main directors of different firms and business associations in the following sectors: automobile, ICTs, energy and electric infrastructures, as well as by representatives of the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Environment, Seaside and Rural Areas, the Presidential Economic Unit and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP).

During the meeting, the participants have signed a Memorandum that is intended to promote the use of electric vehicles in Spain and to set up a reference context in order to settle cooperation mechanisms between the public and the private sectors concerning electric cars and hybrid electric vehicles.

Sebastián stressed the fact that the Government believes Spain “meets all the requirements to win the battle to implement electric vehicles”. The commitment to reduce CO2 emissions, a strong energy dependency from foreign sources, the attempt to implement renewable energies and the challenge of introducing them in the electric system, as well as the use of the recently created transport infrastructures will enable Spain to make the most of the advantages offered by electric cars.

Minister Sebastián said the promotion of this sort of vehicles is being already supported with public funds, through initiatives such as the so-called Proyecto Movele, which involves the introduction of electric cars in urban areas to assess their viability, or the provision of financial support to the automobile sector for the development of projects concerning electric vehicles by way of the Competitiveness Plan.

Still, Sebastián pointed out that it is necessary to “go one step yonder and design a comprehesive plan” so as to promote the production and the large scale demand for such vehicles. Such plan is to be implemented by all the stakeholders involved: municipalities, the car industry and auxiliary-car industries, energy and energy infrastructure companies and the telecommunications sector.

In order to develop the content of the Memorandum, the signing parties have decided to create a team to settle the terms for the project implementation, its follow-up and eventual assessment. The agreements reached in this regard will culminate in a comprehensive action plan to be elaborated by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. It will be presented during the first quarter of 2010.

The stakeholders involved and their areas of action

The Government, has committed to design by way of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade a plan to promote electric vehicles. This plan will address the following issues: fostering demand for these vehicles, adapting regulations and administrative procedures to facilitate the general implementation of electric vehicles, maintaining State-funded financial aid provided by the Energy Saving and Efficiency Plan, introducing new incentives for loading stations, as well as drafting a plan to promote investment in this industry and to support R&D+i regarding this type of vehicles.

Furthermore, the Government has committed firstly, to set up a priority financing line for joint-participation projects involving energy and ICT firms to implement systems enabling the use of electric cars and secondly, to pass the regulations and achieve the technological development needed in order to manage the demand of electric energy, so that electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles may consume energy during the off-peak hours. This would contribute to efficiency improvement, to a better use of the production from renewable sources, and to to the adaptation of transport and energy distribution regulations so as to develop the necessary electric infrastructure.

The FEMP will promote actions aimed at enhancing the mobility of electric vehicles in urban areas, the installation of loading stations, the incorporation of electric vehicles to municipal vehicle fleets and the adaptation of administrative procedures.

Vehicle manufacturers and auxiliary-car industries will cooperate and reach agreements and market alliances to lead industrialisation projects concerning electric vehicles, the standardization of battery charging communication and protocol systems and different information spread actions.

The energy and electric infrastructure sector will sign cooperation agreements with the vehicle sector, designing specific offers concerning the purchase of electric vehicles and the opening of loading stations.

Finally, the ICT sector will develop projects regarding the implementation of electric vehicles and the promotion and standardization of battery charging communication and protocol systems.