With the first mass-market electric cars set to arrive in showrooms in 2010, the US motor industry has set up a group to outline its 'Electrification Roadmap' with the aim of ensuring that a quarter of all vehicles produced by 2020 will be either plug-in hybrids or fully electric-powered.
In real terms, that translates to around 14 million cars. American consumers will start to see cars such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf heading for production lines next year.
More ambitiously (and slightly more long-term) the group wants to see 90 per cent of all vehicles sold in the US by 2030 to be electric-powered. A worthy ambition indeed.
The Electrification Coalition and consulting firm PRTM's Electrification Roadmap looks at a number of policy proposals for overcoming the hurdles to electric car production and consumer demand.
Oil supplies interrupted
"The risk of sudden and prolonged interruption to steady world oil supplies looms over the U.S. and world economies," the coalition's plan states.
"Introducing all the separate elements, from cars to infrastructure, simultaneously in select communities across the country will move electrification beyond the early adopters," said David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy and a member of the coalition.
"You'll drive consumer acceptance as they see large-scale penetration in American cities, in these select ecosystems around the country," coalition President Robbie Diamond informed Reuters.
Via www.wired.com/
