The Green eMotion electromobility initiative is a partnership between 42 organisations from the industries, utilities, electric car manufacturers, municipalities, universities and technology and research institutions, including IBM, EDF, BMW, Renault and the municipalities of Barcelona and Berlin.

The programme forms part of the Transport 2050 Roadmap and is intended to exchange and develop know-how and experience in selected regions within Europe as well as facilitate the market roll-out of electric vehicles in Europe.

European Commisson vice-president Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: 'Transport is current 96% dependent on oil for its energy needs. This is totally unsustainable. The Transport 2050 Roadmap aims to break transport's current oil dependency and allow mobility to grow. We can and we must do both. It can be win-win. But there are major challenges.

'Transport 2050 calls for a reduction of CO2 from transport of at least 60% by 2050. At the heart of this strategy is a major shift in cities to the electric vehicles away from cars with conventionally fuelled engines. The level of EU financial support for this e-motion project shows just how serious we are at EU level about achieving these goals. This is a project that tackles some of the practical problems and real bottlenecks for cities and companies who want to bring electric vehicles to the market. It is exactly the kind of initiative where European co-operation adds huge value. This is a very promising initiative for the future.'

Transport 2050 aims to half the number of conventionally fuelled cars in cities by 2030 and phase them out by 2050.

The four-year long "Green eMotion" project is part of the European Green Cars Initiative. The total budget for the project is estimated at €41.8 million, of which the European Commission will contribute €24.2m under the Seventh Research and Development Framework Programme in order to:
• Compare the 12 ongoing regional and national electromobility initiatives in eight different EU Member States,
• Compare the different technology approaches,
• Contribute to the identification of the best solutions for the European market.

The project will cover different types of electric vehicles, the development of Smart Grids, innovative Information and Communication Technologies solutions and urban mobility concepts, as well as the creation of an interoperable platform.