(Image: SEAT)
Spain’s Cabinet has approved the Strategy for the Promotion of Alternative Energy Vehicles for the period 2014-2020, including natural gas vehicles, hydrogen and other alt-fuels. This was announced by the spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaria in press conference after the Council of Ministers, in which she stressed that the 2020 strategy has been broadened from just electric vehicles to take in other developing forms of energy.
Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, said the Alternative Energy Strategy for powered vehicles has been prepared by a working group created in October 2014 to address the increasing participation of such vehicles in Spain. By incorporating alt-fuels into the strategy the Spanish Government says it is well ahead of the date set by the European Commission (EC) which calls for each Member State to present an action plan to boost infrastructure for the refueling of alternative fuel vehicles by 18 November 2016.
Among its goals, she highlighted the boost to its related industry, both in its manufacturing and associated components, as well as an infrastructure network so that users can have comfort to refuel the vehicles.
There are three axes to the Strategy: industrialization, market and infrastructure
- Industrialization: the industrialization of alternative vehicles and points associated energy supplies is promoted, with the aim of putting Spain at the forefront of these technologies. Measures for the industrialization of vehicles, components and supply infrastructure measures enhancing the R & D are collected.
- Market: Actions are defined to drive demand to achieve a sufficient market to boost the economies of scale and supply, allowing consolidation of infrastructure and industrialization in Spain. Includes measures of dissemination and awareness of the new fuels and technologies, and measures to stimulate the purchase of vehicles.
- Infrastructure: includes measures to promote an infrastructure network that will cover the needs of user mobility and allow the development of a market for alternative fuels.
In addition, in line with the purpose and scope of the Directive 2014/94/EU, 22 October 2014, concerning the implementation of an infrastructure for alternative fuels, and the future framework for national action for the implementation of the necessary infrastructures required for the same, this Strategy for the Promotion of Alternative Energy Vehicles makes an initial estimate of fleet development of these vehicles and the infrastructure associated with it, with the adoption of measures set out in this document to enable this to be achieved by 2020.
(Source: Government of Spain)
