Smart EV

Smart EV

Electric vehicles may be a common sight on the autobahns in the next decade. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is intent on putting more EVs on the roads and her Cabinet is finishing a plan to do just that.

The program would offer financial incentives beginning in 2012 to aid in the production and sale of EVs. The goal of the proposed legislation is to put one million EVs on German roads by 2020. The German government will consider the plan during their upcoming fall session.

While German automakers have generally been ahead of the curve with diesel technologies, they've offered far fewer hybrid options than their Japanese and American competitors.

With the EV movement gaining traction, manufacturers are racing to electrify their lineups. Among the German car brands, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler all have long term plans for EVs - and now, their government does too.

Source: Associated Press via Drive.com.au