Google – AFP, Patrice Novotny (AFP), 21 February 2014
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Nissan
chief executive Carlos Ghosn (right) and Bhutanese Prime Minister
Tshering
Tobgay shake hands after unveiling the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle in
Thimphu
on February 21, 2014 (AFP, Dibyangshu Sarkar)
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Thimphu —
The remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan signed a deal with Japanese auto giant
Nissan Friday to become the ultimate showcase for electric cars, taking
advantage of its abundance of hydropower.
The
announcement was made during a visit by Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn to
Thimphu, the picturesque capital of Bhutan.
Prime
Minister Tshering Tobgay said electric vehicles would help meet a target of
zero emissions.
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Bhutanese
students participate in
celebrations at the National stadium in
Thimphu on
February 21, 2014 to mark
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck's
34th birthday
(AFP, Dibyangshu Sarkar)
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"An
important part of that plan will be sustainable and environmentally-friendly
zero emission transport," he added at a joint press conference with Ghosn.
"We
don't want to rely on and we don't want to buy fossil fuel," he added.
To mark the
announcement which came on the birthday of Bhutan's revered king, Nissan said
it was donating two of its Leaf electric vehicles to the government.
It will
also supply Bhutan's pool of government cars and fleet of taxis with the same
model for an undisclosed price.
Nissan
plans to set up a network of charging stations across Thimphu, which industry
experts see as vital in persuading motorists to shell out for an electric
vehicle.
Wedged
between India and China, the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' is famed for its
Gross National Happiness development model that specifically takes into account
the environment as well as psychological well-being.
Landlocked
and mountainous, Bhutan is teeming with rivers and waterfalls that enable it to
operate four hydroelectric plants with a combined capacity of 1,400 megawatts
-- equivalent to a powerful nuclear reactor.
Most of the
electricity is sold on to India but Bhutan also has to import traditional
fossil fuels to meet the needs of its motorists.
"(Electric
vehicles) will help Bhutan to reduce the use of fossile fuels and the need to
import foreign oil," said Ghosn in the press conference.
Ghosn said
the deal would make Bhutan an environmental role model, predicting that the
government investment would encourage consumers.
"What
we are talking about is the very initial step. Because of this vision that we
see for Bhutan, you can expect hundreds or hopefully thousands of Leafs (to be)
sold in Bhutan," added Ghosn.
-
Self-sufficiency -
Tobgay, who
came to power after winning Bhutan's second ever elections last July, sees
electric cars as a way of becoming more self-sufficient and of demonstrating
the rapid development of a nation that only introduced television in 1999.
The prime
minister acknowledged that the high price -- the Leaf costs around $20,000 in
the United States -- could scare off motorists but said he was hoping for
outside help.
"If we
can get international agencies and individuals to support us to subsidize one
third of that price, it becomes very affordable," he said.
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Bhutanese
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay (2nd left), watched by Nissan chief
executive
Carlos Ghosn (left), plugs in a receptacle to charge the Nissan
Leaf electric
vehicle in Thimphu on February 21, 2014 (AFP, Dibyangshu Sarkar)
|
While other
capitals in South Asia are often cloaked in pollution, the residents of Thimpu
enjoy a largely pristine climate.
As all
vehicles have to be imported and are heavily taxed, car ownership is relatively
small and taxis are widely used.
Nissan has
emerged as the world leader in the electric car market having invested four
billion euros with its French partner Renault, which owns more than 40 percent
of the Japanese company.
Launched in
2010, the Nissan Leaf is now the best-selling electric car in history after
becoming the first model to pass the 100,000 mark for worldwide sales at the
end of last year.
One of the
Leaf's chief attractions is its special fast charger which can be fired up in
just half an hour, a vast improvement on the eight hours that it takes to
recharge batteries linked up to the mains electricity.
It can
reach speeds of up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour and has a range of 200
kilometres.
The limited
range of most green cars and their relatively high prices have proved major
hurdles to a growth in sales.
But while
the market remains tiny, industry experts expect demand to grow sharply in the
next few years as emissions standards across the world are toughened.
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