Article taken from Greenwise The Japanese car manufacturer, which has a plant in Sunderland, has formed a partnership with regional development agency, One North East, to explore the development of a zero emission mobility programme in the UK. The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in the presence of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who was visiting the region.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nissan and One North East will promote electric vehicles through incentive schemes and educational programmes in the region and examine the suitability of the northeast infrastructure for the launch of electric vehicles. They will also promote Nissan's Sunderland plant as a contender to produce electric vehicles.
Nissan, which plans to launch its first zero emission electric vehicles in Japan and the US next year, said the study represented an important step in the potential launch of electric vehicles in the UK in the near future.
"Nissan has made a clear commitment to lead the global automotive industry in the mass marketing of electric vehicles," said Andy Palmer, Nissan senior vice president responsible for Nissan's global electric vehicle strategy. "Today's signing with One North East will advance the deployment of electric vehicles worldwide and promotes the northeast as a region ready and willing to embrace zero emission mobility."
Nissan is already working with Brighton-based Elektromotive, a pioneer in electric charging station technology in the UK, through its Renault-Nissan Alliance, a commercial partnership between the Japanese and French car makers established in 1999.
Renault and Nissan are collaborating with Elektromotive to accelerate the installation of charging networks for electric vehicles in UK cities.
Brighton-based Elektromotive started developing charging station technology in 2003 and installed its first Elektrobay charging post in Westminster in 2006. To date, it has installed more than 40 charging bays for pure electric and hybrid electric cars in London and a further 40 in other major UK cities.