(Photo by Aaron Michael Brown on Flickr)
During a recent national conference on electric mobility in Berlin, federal government representatives unveiled a plan to add one million green cars to Germany’s civilian fleet within the next decade. The plan was created by department heads in Economics, Transportation, Environment and Education and Research to reflect the government’s desire for eco-friendly transit. Government representatives noted that the plan will be worked into legislation by the beginning of 2009 to ensure time for all parties involved to meet the goal.
This larger plan seems to encompass the German government’s existing plans to green the national fleet car by car. The federal government initiated a four-year program in June to test out the vehicle-to-grid connection needed for electric vehicles in the country’s major cities. This test has been made possible with the help of Volkswagen, the Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and E.ON. The government has also pledged $455 million to a consortium of lithium ion battery producers like Bosch, BASF and Evonik to decrease the financial burden associated with producing electric vehicles.
The Berlin conference allowed automakers to highlight advancements in electric vehicles that will make the one-million car goal possible. BMW showcased its Mini E and Daimler showed off the E-Smart alongside dozens of other vehicles produced by smaller companies. The German Association of Automakers participated in vetting the plan during the conference by pointing out the need for tax incentives. This powerful organization noted that the American and French governments are using tax breaks to consumers as a way to cultivate images of affordability for eco-friendly vehicles.
The German government’s EV plan is not ambitious enough considering that the total number of cars in the country in 2006 was 49 million. If we assume that this fleet will grow conservatively in the next decade, the inclusion of one million electric vehicles would be a drop in the ocean compared to traditional vehicles. The existing programs established by Germany’s automakers, utility companies and government agencies should portend to a larger electrical fleet by 2020. As a country that is leading the vanguard for electric vehicles in Europe, the German government should increase this goal to avoid the perception of setting an exceptionally easy mark.
The good thing is that in Germany the necessity of using alternative fuel has been great for many years. So this is a more palpable reality for them than for the US.
I’m so glad to read stories like this. I think it is terrific that more and more companies are getting on the ”green” bandwagon.
Honestly though it should be a reality for the United States and other countries. I love to see that countries a putting down a timeline and working toward that timeline.