Prince Albert chairs EV20 alliance

New initiative to promote electric vehicles.

During the opening ceremony of Climate Week New York yesterday, Prince Albert II launched a new group of which he is the Chair. The EV20 is an alliance of businesses, states and financial institutions that aim to speed up the deployment of electric vehicles.

In his speech, the Prince said:

The rapid growth of an e-car market will cut city pollution and global greenhouse gas emissions helping to conserve our climate and our energy resources. The development of EV fleets could also help to shift the way we use and store energy.

Convened by The Climate Group, the EV20 alliance has set a target of getting 1 million more electrical vehicles on the road in the next 5 years than automakers had planned to bring to market. The partners hope to broker international fleet procurement alliances, develop national, state and municipal policy frameworks, and finance solutions.

Members of the group include car manufacturers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Smith Electric Vehicles, fleet owner TNT, Johnson Controls, Better Place and Deutsche Bank. The state governments of Basque Country, New York, Quebec, South Australia and Victoria also joined the group. The alliance is made possible with support from the Fondation Prince Albert II, Dutch Postcode Lottery and the HSBC Climate Partnership.

Global Alliance Aims for 1 Million More EVs on the Road by 2015 [1]

Climate Week Brings Thousands Together for Clean Innovation [2]

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal reported on 21st September that Prince Albert II is not enthusiastic about international governments' ability to establish agreements to reduce global emissions, nor to compel industry to do so. He believes that public-private groups can work more effectively, saying that international negotiations remain extremely difficult.

Climate Change: Are Public-Private Partnerships The Answer? [3]