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world news Diahuebs 17 Juni 2021

Spain hopes to jumpstart electric car industry with EU funds

(AP) — Daniel Sánchez is the government is aiming at
one of the luckier electric spending around 5 billion
car owners in Spain. With euros ($6 billion) over the
a free recharging station next three years on its electric
less than a kilometer from vehicle initiative.
his home just north of
Barcelona, he can keep his Spain produced 2.2 mil-
Tesla ready to roll. lion cars and trucks in 2020,
second only to Germany in
“I cannot imagine stopping at Europe. But only 140,000
a gas station ever again,” the of these were electric or hy-
41-year-old transport com- brids, according to ANFAC,
pany owner said. “We feel the Spanish Association of
like those people who got off Automobile and Truck Man-
a horse-drawn carriage and ufacturers.
climbed into a car. There is
no going back.” “What we are doing is ac-
celerating a change that is
Other Spaniards are consid- already taking place,” Blanco
erably less enthusiastic. The said. “This is a unique op-
dearth of places to plug in, portunity. The automakers
compared to western and are on board, and there are
northern Europe, and the resources to carry out the in-
price of electric cars have left vestments.”
Spain lagging as the conti-
nent races to get greener. A leader in highspeed elec-
tric trains, Spain wants to
Now the government wants put 250,000 more electric ve-
to usher the entire country hicles on its roads within two
into this new paradigm. years, adding to the current
96,000.
The ruling left-wing coali- tions that have poorer access three years. group, has committed to pro-
tion plans to use a chunk of The push for electric cars to other modes of alternative ducing an electric car in the
the 140 billion euros ($166 should reduce CO2 emis- transport,” the group said. ANFAC, the carmakers’ 20,000-25,000 euro range
billion) Spain is set to receive sions by 450,000 tons, ac- group, said more may be that Blanco believes will hit
from the European Union’s cording to government pro- Spain is counting on its ro- needed. the price points for domestic
pandemic recovery plan to jections as Spain aims to bust car industry, and the shoppers.
kickstart its electric car in- completely convert to renew- deposits of lithium — key to “We must overcome the ‘au-
dustry. able energy by 2050, in line battery production for elec- tonomy anxiety’ of drivers by Ford’s president for Europe,
with EU targets. tric vehicles — that it shares assuring them that charging Stuart Rowley, spoke with
European Commission Pres- with Portugal. The goal is to their car is as easy as filling Prime Minister Sánchez in
ident Ursula von der Leyen “Spain can carry out these in- establish a supply chain by up with gas,” spokesman José April about “Ford’s battery
visited Madrid on Wednes- dustrial activities with green encouraging private invest- López-Tafall told the AP. “It sourcing strategy and the im-
day, at the start of her tour energy,” Blanco said. “Com- ment to build a battery fac- is necessary to set up a cal- portance of support from the
of member states to endorse pared to other countries of tory, along with assembly endar with set goals to reach Spanish Government in the
their plans to deploy the central and eastern Europe plants and software design, 340,000 charging points by framework of the EU Next
massive windfall designed to that still rely on fossil fuels, all with the goal of driving 2030.” Generation funds,” the com-
erase the economic pain of or other countries which use more climate-friendly cars pany said in a statement pro-
the pandemic. Final approval nuclear, Spain can rely on re- off production lines. Price, too, matters. The aver- vided to the AP.
from Brussels is expected in newable energies since it has age annual income in Spain is
coming weeks. wind and solar.” The plan’s success, however, 15,000 euros ($18,100) below Renault has also reaffirmed
faces hurdles. the EU mean. Luxury cars its focus on making hybrids
Von der Leyen met with The environmental group are a rare sight in Spanish at its Spanish plants.
Prime Minister Pedro Sán- Greenpeace supported the Spain has fewer than 2 pub- cities, where economy mod-
chez, who has compared the push for electric vehicles but lic plug-in points per 100,000 els and motorbikes reign. So Labor unions have welcomed
EU Next Generation funds argued that the EU funds square kilometers, compared while electric vehicles can the huge public investment
to a “new Marshall Plan.” should not be used to keep to over 10 in Germany, Bel- lure more affluent Europe- in an industry that provides
clogging cities with cars. gium and the Netherlands, ans, they give many Span- 10% of Spain’s GDP and 9%
Spain’s Secretary of State for according to a 2020 report by iards sticker shock. of its employment.
Industry Raül Blanco told “It is vital that the aid is pri- the European Court of Audi-
The Associated Press that oritized to help rural popula- tors. To overcome this, the gov- Garbiñe Espejo, general sec-
ernment has already dedicat- retary of industry for the
“It is a snake that bites its own ed 400 million euros ($484 CCOO trade union confed-
tail,” said Salvador Ejarque, million) for rebates of up to eration, said the recent deci-
president of Spain’s Asso- 7,000 euros ($8,400) on pur- sion by Nissan to close plants
ciation of Electric Car Us- chases of electric and hybrid in and near Barcelona was a
ers, or AUVE. “People don’t vehicles. warning of what could come
buy cars because they can’t if the private and public sec-
charge them, and those who It must also convince car- tor don’t join hands.
can invest don’t do it quickly makers that Spain is their
enough because the bureau- best investment bet, while “Spain’s auto industry is in
cracy is complex and slow go- Germany and France have good health,” Espejo told the
ing,” the advantage of having ma- AP. “But if we do not seize
jor manufacturers based in this opportunity to trans-
The government wants to their countries. form Spain into a leader in
boost the total number of re- new technologies, the impact
charging points nationwide Spanish carmaker SEAT, a for industry and jobs will be
from 11,500 to 100,000 in member of the Volkswagen dire.”