14 Major World Cities Announce Plans to Build More Electric-Vehicle Infrastructure

14 Major World Cities Announce Plans to Build More Electric-Vehicle Infrastructure

By Scott Doggett December 17, 2009

Fourteen major cities - all members of the C40, described below - announced the formation of the C40 Electric Vehicle Network at the Climate Summit for Mayors in Copenhagen on Thursday.

In collaboration with BYD Auto, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault and the Clinton Climate Initiative, these cities will focus on four key areas necessary for becoming electric vehicle ready.

Initial members of the C40 Electric Vehicle Network are: Bogota, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Sydney.

Through the C40 Electric Vehicle Network, the cities pledged to:

• Facilitate the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure and related electricity supply systems in collaboration with local utilities.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to streamline permitting processes associated with charging equipment to encourage the safe and expeditious installation on customer premises and elsewhere.
• Coordinate monetary and non-monetary incentives available to the general public and organizations purchasing electric vehicles, and contribute to the package appropriately.
• Develop and publish a plan to mobilize demand for electric vehicles in city fleets for the period 2010 - 2013 and rally private fleets to the safe end.

The four automakers agreed to help inform cities on electric-vehicle policies, vehicle procurement and infrastructure investment decisions through advice on vehicle specifications, charging parameters, business models for electricity supply, and incentives.

As part of the C40 cities' commitment to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and share best practices, the city of Hong Kong will host a workshop on electric vehicles in November 2010.

The C40 is a group of the world's largest cities that have committed to tackling climate change. They consist of Addis Ababa, Athens, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi, Dhaka, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo and Warsaw.

The Clinton Climate Initiative is the implementation partner. 

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.