Endesa Seals Electric Car Deal with Mitsubishi, Nissan

Sept. 21, 2010
Endesa's network will be compatible with Mitsubishi's i-MiEV and with Nissan's LEAF.

Spanish utility Endesa said on Sept. 21 that it had signed an agreement with Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp. to work together on the development of electric cars.

Under the agreement Mitsubishi will introduce its i-MiEV electric vehicle in Spain while Endesa, owned by Italy's largest power company Enel, would build infrastructure to provide power to electric cars in the country.

The two companies also aim to explore the possible expansion into the European Union and Latin America.

Earlier this month Spanish Economy Minister Elena Salgado was in negotiations with Mitsubishi Motors over the possible construction of a plant in the northwestern port of Vigo to produce parts for electric vehicles.

The company has also signed an agreement with Nissan to set up a network of recharge points for electric cars. "Nissan and Endesa have agreed to advance the technical progress and deployment of Direct Current (DC) quick charging technology throughout Spain," the company said.

"This is in parallel to the work started earlier this year between Endesa's parent company, Italy's ENEL and Nissan's Alliance partner Renault on Alternative Current (AC) quick charging technology.

"The network will be compatible with the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, which is expected to go on sale in Spain in June 2011."

Endesa Chairman Borja Prado said the group is "committed to be the leading utility for electric vehicles in Spain and Latin America, and that is why we are partnering with the most important players in this market, such as Nissan."

"Obviously we have the conditions for the plant to settle in Spain, one of the nations which is pushing the development of an electric vehicle the hardest" she said.

Spain's government has said it plans to invest 590 million euros (US$770 million) over two years in the development of an electric vehicle and hopes to see 250,000 such vehicles on the roads by 2014.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010

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