Electric vehicles: Andalusia signs an agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance

The two organisations will work together to identify areas of cooperation for promoting the use of electric vehicles, as part of PASENER 2007-2013 (the Andalusian Sustainable Energy Plan) and the Renault-Nissan alliance’s zero emissions strategy.

The PTA (Andalusian Technological Park) was chosen as the backdrop for the signing of the agreement, given that it will be home to an electric vehicle pilot study, which will consist of a series of simulations to define energy, recharging points and battery life needs for the large-scale development of this new method of mobility.

Furthermore, the city of Málaga will play a leading role in Smartcity, a programme of electric car driving and usage tests that has the support of the Department of Science, Innovation and Business and now Renault, within the framework of the Renault-Nissan alliance.

Finally, the agreement describes a series of projects based on different issues:
· The definition of potential companies and city councils that could become part of the plan, due to both their interest in zero emission fleets and their commitment to promoting the environment within their area of influence.
· Information for users, so that they become more familiar and discover more about this new way of getting around.

Training workshops for technicians specialising in electric vehicles.

· The dissemination of the different types of incentives available from institutions in Andalusia.
This is the second Renault-Nissan Alliance agreement to promote the implementation of the use of the electric vehicle in Spain, following the announcement by the Alliance and Barcelona City Council that underlined the intention to set up a fleet and almost 200 recharging points in the city.

Renault in Spain

The Renault Group in Spain has a well-established industrial and commercial structure, with four factories and a market share of 10.9%. In 2009, Renault and Mégane were both leaders in terms of sales. Furthermore, the Renault factories have been awarded two new models and an engine for 2011-2013, including the car derived from the Twizy Z.E. Concept, the first electric vehicle to undergo large-scale production in Spain.

Renault has a gearbox factory in Andalusia that produces 30% of the total amount produced by Renault Group worldwide and employs 1,100 people. In 2009 it produced a total of 755,370 units, of which 70% was exported.

The Renault Nissan Alliance, founded in 1999, sold 6,090,304 vehicles in 2008. The objective of the Alliance is to rank among the world’s top three vehicle manufacturers in terms of quality, technology and profitability. Marking its tenth anniversary in 2009, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is leading a collaborative approach with both business and governments and has signed more than 40 agreements worldwide with partners to launch its first electric vehicle starting in 2010 and to mass market a full range of electrical vehicles in 2012.

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