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Cities Join Forces on Electric Vehicles

14 Cities commit to specific actions on Electric Vehicles during ‘Climate Summit for Mayors’ in Copenhagen – Actions supported by global leaders in vehicle manufacturing

16 December 2009

Fourteen of the world’s largest cities today committed to take steps over the next year to make their cities more electric vehicle-friendly, in collaboration with four leading vehicle manufacturers and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). The announcement was made at the ‘Climate Summit for Mayors’, which is being held alongside the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen.

The cities of Bogota, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Sydney have come together to form the ‘C40 Electric Vehicle Network’ and collectively will address four areas of municipal action that are critical to the successful introduction of electric vehicles. Through the C40 Electric Vehicle Network, the cities will:  

• 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.

So far, four private sector companies have committed to work with the C40 Electric Vehicle Network toward the shared goal of growing the market for electric vehicles.  This group includes car manufacturers, BYD, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), Nissan and Renault. These companies will help inform cities’ electric vehicle policies, vehicle procurement and infrastructure investment decisions through advice on vehicle specifications, charging parameters, business models for electricity supply, and incentives.

"Increasing the number of electric vehicles on our roads is a critical step in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, and cities can lead the way," said President Clinton. “By bringing together cities and private sector companies to make electric vehicles a viable option for every driver, this network will help improve air quality, create more sustainable, good-paying jobs, and establish new models for other cities to follow."

Cities play an important role in addressing climate change and are making real and significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Half the world's population lives in cities that account for more than two-thirds of carbon emissions. Road transportation, at 11%, ranks as one of the largest discrete end-use contributors to GHG emissions and is among the fastest growing of GHG sources.   The conversion of major vehicle fleets to electric power, especially light-duty vehicles such as cars and vans, is an important opportunity to reduce urban GHG emissions, due to the potential magnitude and speed of implementation.

London has committed to purchase more than 1,000 electric vehicles for its fleets and 25,000 charge points by 2015 to support running of a target 100,000 electric vehicles. It has also demonstrated leadership by sharing the experiences of developing its comprehensive electric vehicle delivery plan, a first of its kind, with the C40 Electric Vehicle Network cities. Network partner Mitsubishi Motors Corporation began sales of its new-generation electric vehicle, the i-MiEV, in Japan this summer and has already delivered approximately 800 of these innovative vehicles to date with plans to roll out the vehicle globally. Nissan will launch a new electric vehicle in 2010 and has already announced the investment in production capacity for 200,000 electric vehicles that will come on line during 2012.

It is expected that the Network will have the biggest impact on private consumers due to the increase in vehicles produced, as demand grows, and the rise in the availability of charging stations across cities. The environmental impact will also be notable as each electric vehicle that displaces a conventional car produces savings of approximately 1.5 tons of CO2 per year, compared to a conventional vehicle. This represents a 62% reduction compared to a petrol-powered car, and a 53% reduction compared to a diesel-powered car.

The C40 is a group of the world’s largest cities committed to taking action on climate change by reducing greenhouse gases. As the delivery partner of the C40, the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation, will help the C40 Electric Vehicle Network cities to develop their electric vehicle strategies and convene and collaborate with key industry stakeholders to facilitate and accelerate implementation.

Mayor Miller of Toronto and C40 Chair said, “The Electric Vehicle Network demonstrates the power of the C40 as a convener and catalyst for change.  Fourteen cities sharing solutions can make more rapid progress than any one city working on its own.  This is a terrific example of city governments acting in partnership with the private sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said, “London has set the standard for the shift to mainstream urban electric vehicles use across the world. City leaders have raised the bar in responding to the challenge of climate change. By committing to adopt electric technology, we are using the collective clout of our procurement power and populations to mobilise global markets. The move to electric vehicles, which emit zero pollution on to our city streets, will have a massive impact on cutting carbon emissions whilst improving air quality and noise levels for our citizens.”

Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles said, “Cities and utilities play a critical role in accelerating the public acceptance of Electric Vehicles. In Los Angeles, we are coordinating as a region to upgrade our charging infrastructure and make it cheaper for residents to charge their EVs at home. Coupled with our plans to get off of coal-based power, we will drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.”

Ritt Bjerregaard, Mayor of Copenhagen said, “Copenhagen is hosting the Climate Summit for Mayors in order to emphasize the pivotal role of cities when it comes to climate change. We are close to the citizens and we deliver the real-time initiatives that matter, such as introducing green vehicles.”

As part of C40 cities' commitment to reduce GHG emissions and share best practise, the City of Hong Kong will host a workshop on Electric Vehicles in November 2010.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has established charging stations for Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV)s at neighborhood parks, including the World Cup Park.  Seoul is also planning to start transforming public transportation such as buses and taxis that tend to drive long distances into electric vehicles.

For media enquiries please contact: Olivia Ross, Clinton Climate Initiative, oross@clintonfoundation.org