Nissan is accelerating plans for a European-wide Quick Charge (QC) network for electric vehicles by giving away 400 new quick charging stations free of charge. These new points will boost existing networks and give EV customers greater freedom and flexibility by effectively extending the range of their car.
The move follows an agreement between Nissan and five of Europe’s leading utility and EV infrastructure supply companies to speed up the provision of the latest quick chargers developed by Nissan, which are cheaper – up to half the previous price – and smaller than before. The target is to have a network of quick charge stations across Europe with several thousand units in place by the end of 2012 and tens of thousands by 2015.
Countries across Europe have been asked to pitch for a charging network and the best ‘bids’ will win an allocation of chargers. By recharging batteries in a fraction of the time, Nissan says this radical step will help drive more customers towards electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf. The advanced lithium ion batteries in vehicle can be recharged from 0 to 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes using a quick charger.
