Álava Technology Park launches its first electric car

The initiative shows the Park’s commitment to the new efficient transport technologies. “La Caixa” has also collaborated in the scheme, with a contribution of 6,000 euros for acquisition of the vehicle. In November, Álava Technology Park presented its two new recharging stations for electric vehicles installed by IBIL, the public-private electric vehicle recharge company.

Álava Technology Park, 25/01/2012

Álava Technology Park, which forms part of the SPRI Group Infrastructures Area (belonging to the Department of Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism), has launched its first electric car. The initiative contributes to motivating and encouraging the use of this type of vehicles in the Park’s environment, as part of its commitment to the new efficient transport technologies.

The vehicle is a “Nissan Leaf” model and will be used to transport visitors and for work carried out at the Park. The keys were handed over at the entity’s installations this afternoon to the Park’s director, José Manuel Nogales, by the concessionary company Lejarza. The handover event was also attended by the President of the Basque Technology Park Network, Francisco Berjón, and La Caixa’s Area Manager, Juan José Ortiz.

Purchase of the vehicle was made possible by the 6,000 euro subsidy received from the banking entity “La Caixa”. The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and the Basque Electricity Board (EVE) could also soon be making a contribution of 6,000 euros each, through their subsidy programmes for acquisition of electric vehicles.

Thanks to this collaboration, Álava Technology Park now has its own electric vehicle, customised with the Park’s new logo. In addition to its use for transport purposes it will also be of use for promoting this type of vehicle as an innovative, sustainable means of transport for the companies and people who work at the Park or visit it each day.

Together with other recent major advances, this is a new step forward for Álava Technology Park in its bid for using the new efficient transport technologies. The most recent advance took place in November, with the presentation of the Park’s two new electric vehicle recharging stations provided by the Electric Vehicle Recharge Company IBIL, whose stakeholders are Repsol and the Department of Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism, through the Basque Electricity Board.

The company IBIL, with the collaboration of major vehicle manufacturers including Nissan, Renault, Peugeot, BYD and General Motors, announced in November on drawing up the balance for its first year of business that a hundred electric vehicles are now on the road in the Basque Country, thanks to the subsidies received from the Basque Electricity Board, and the number is gradually rising due to the interest shown by the companies owning the fleets. By the end of 2011 IBIL also had 100 recharging stations installed in the Basque Country.

According to forecasts made by IBIL and EVE, by the year 2020 the Basque Country will have a fleet of 43,000 electric vehicles on the road, together with 13,000 up-and-running recharging stations.

As regards the Basque Technology Parks, San Sebastián Technology Park will soon be taking part in the initiative and will have its own electric car. Bizkaia Science and Technology Park also received its first electric car on 20 January.