SEAT Reportedly Studying Nationwide EV and EV-Charging Program for Spain

SEAT, the Spanish car maker owned by Volkswagen, is discussing a major nationwide electric car program building off VW's developing EV technology and working with one of Spain's largest construction companies for infrastructure support.

The plan, outlined  in a Dow Jones report, says builder Actividades de Construccion y Servicios would install a battery charging infrastructure while SEAT would electrify various models using VW technology unveiled earlier this year on the E-Up! concept.

All that's needed, apparently, is around 8 billion euro, (or $ 11.8 billion U.S.) and the support of Spain's Industry Ministry.

The idea of linking development of electric cars with development of an EV charging infrastructure seems to be foreign to the U.S, where each piece of the equation seems to be running at different speeds and on different timetables.

But as analysts with IHS Global insight point out, VW's chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, was pretty explicit when the company unveiled the all,-electric E-Up! concept at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show:  "To be a genuine success such an electric car must...be uncompromisingly practical in everyday driving."

We take that to mean that the good Dr.Winterkorn believes you've got to be able to give EV users a place to charge-em up before you can make much headway in the market.  He followed that statement by saying the E-Up! would re ready for market in 2013, when there just might be charges spotted around the continent for EV drivers to use.

Private-public partnerships to develop infrastructure are being explored in most of Europe.

Posted by

John O'Dell November 2, 2009, 5:12 PM

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Plug-ins and Electric, Volkswagen

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E-Up!, Electric Cars, EV Charging, EVs, SEAT, VW