We should be getting the Nissan Leaf shortly;

There will/should be a UK Government subsidy for EVs (plug ins)

and

UK local governments are falling over themselves to set up the infastructure.

[url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8507888.stm"]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8507888.stm[/url]


On top of that the Prius plug in should be ready next year, Renault hope to have their offerings ready in about 2 years and the Vauxhall Ampera (Chevy Volt) is due about the same time also;

[url="http://www.renault-ze.com/uk/?WT.srch=1#/uk/home.html"]http://www.renault-ze.com/uk/?WT.srch=1#/uk/home.html[/url]

[url="http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vaux/pages/cars/conceptCars/ampera/market.jsp"]http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vaux/pages/cars/...pera/market.jsp[/url]

There really does seem to be some momentum now - at last.
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How much of the North East setting up charging points is to do with trying to persuade Nissan to build the Leaf at Sunderland? Especially after the set back of Boris choosing BMW's over the Leaf as the 2012 Olympic car.

Price and range will be the thing's that count!

EDIT: Sorry, I was doing Blonde Boris a dis-service, it was the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Locog) that is responsible for procuring the fleet of several thousand vehicles.

[quote name='Fujisan' post='977848' date='Feb 26 2010, 03:32 PM']How much of the North East setting up charging points is to do with trying to persuade Nissan to build the Leaf at Sunderland? Especially after the set back of Boris choosing BMW's over the Leaf as the 2012 Olympic car.

Price and range will be the thing's that count!

EDIT: Sorry, I was doing Blonde Boris a dis-service, it was the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Locog) that is responsible for procuring the fleet of several thousand vehicles.[/quote]


You're kidding right? I thought the Olympics was supposed to be a 'green' event and they were choosing suppliers and equiptment along those lines! Are the BMW's electric or something? If not, then I smell a rat. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find one or two board members of the LOCOG have brand new BMW's sitting on their drives.

Maybe I should have called myself Cynical Cabbie?

[quote name='Grumpy Cabbie' post='977872' date='Feb 26 2010, 04:32 PM']You're kidding right? I thought the Olympics was supposed to be a 'green' event and they were choosing suppliers and equiptment along those lines! Are the BMW's electric or something? If not, then I smell a rat. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find one or two board members of the LOCOG have brand new BMW's sitting on their drives.

Maybe I should have called myself Cynical Cabbie? [/quote]

No, not kidding. [url="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/london_2012/article6922432.ece"]Link here.[/url]

I can just see some of those really tall sports men and women folding themselves into Mini's! While Lord Coe glides around in a long wheelbase 7 series.

[quote name='Fujisan' post='977961' date='Feb 26 2010, 07:32 PM'][quote name='Grumpy Cabbie' post='977872' date='Feb 26 2010, 04:32 PM']You're kidding right? I thought the Olympics was supposed to be a 'green' event and they were choosing suppliers and equiptment along those lines! Are the BMW's electric or something? If not, then I smell a rat. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find one or two board members of the LOCOG have brand new BMW's sitting on their drives.

Maybe I should have called myself Cynical Cabbie? [/quote]

No, not kidding. [url="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/london_2012/article6922432.ece"]Link here.[/url]

I can just see some of those really tall sports men and women folding themselves into Mini's! While Lord Coe glides around in a long wheelbase 7 series.
[/quote]


This has cheesed me off big time. What a terrible missed opportunity.

I know the Mini is made in the UK, but these games were lauded as being the greenest games ever. How can a 3 door small hatchback be classed as green, let alone a nice big 4 litre 7 series. The Nissan Leaf is a five door Ford Focus sized electric only vehicle with 100 mile range AND will be made in Britain, supporting British jobs and suppliers. It is much larger than the 3 door mini, so athletes will fit in with ease. Perhaps they wanted something bigger to whiz the VIP's about in and decided that Nissan didn't have anything suitable. Well, what about a fleet of electric minibuses or even low emission LPG London Taxis? The tourists love them AND they're made in the UK also. When the games are finished they could be sold off to the London cabbies and carry on reducing emissions in the city for years to come.

What a sad sad day. This country has just sold out here - again.

The Yanks wouldn't do it, the French certainly wouldn't, yet us? so sad.

[quote name='Grumpy Cabbie' post='978158' date='Feb 27 2010, 11:07 AM']Perhaps they wanted something bigger to whiz the VIP's about in and decided that Nissan didn't have anything suitable.[/quote]

Think that just about hits the nail on the head.