Electric vehicles Spark at Paris Car Show

Carmakers rolled out a slew of electric models at the Paris motor show on Friday. About a third of the new models presented at the show are “clean cars,” said Francois Roudier of the French carmakers’ group CCFA.

Besides big names like Germany’s Daimler, lesserknown entities such as France’s Heuliez have also shown allelectric models here.

Carmakers are in a rush to get their models onto the market before new European Union legislation kicks in 2012 under which automakers in Europe will have to cut carbon dioxide emissions in new cars to an average of 130 g per km travelled by 2012, from the current average of 145-150 g. Those that miss the target would face fines for each car breaching the new limits.

“These new norms are the driving force (behind the push for electric vehicles), as well as the rise in oil prices,” said JeanPhilippe Le Denmet, an analyst with research firm Global Insight.

Although the concept of electric car has been around for a century, until recent years, the seemingly unending supply of oil provided little incentive for these vehicles. It has also struggled to become a mainstream reality because of technical mat ters — electric batteries were liable to explode, electric cars ran out of power after relatively small distances, and recharging was painfully slow.

But things have changed.

“There have been major developments in recent years,” as most cars now use long-lasting lithium-ion batteries, said Herbert Kohler, Daimler’s chief environmental officer.

Heuliez says its three-seater subcompact Friendly, is set to go on sale by 2012. It will be able to travel up to 250 km after one charge-up.

The infrastructure needed to make electric cars viable — such as recharging stations — should be a relatively simple matter to set up, said Sylvain Vitet of the French electricity firm EDF’s vehicle section. Carmakers say they are aiming electric autos at people who will use them mostly for short urban trips to go for work or go shopping or for social outings.

“The electric car is not mature enough to be multifunctional,” said Cyril Francois of Heuliez. Long trips would require large batteries that would use up space and weigh down the vehicle, he noted.

Electric vehicles are thus likely to take a modest share of the market.

Norbert Reithofer, BMW’s new boss, reckons that even by 2020 only between 5 to 10 per cent of new models will be electric. Manufacturers are however confident that they can create a market. Venturi, from Monaco, has even revealed an all-electric sports car.

Heuliez says it aims to sell electric vehicles from 14,000 dollars but Daimler has yet to set a price for its model.