France to build electric car infrastructure by 2011

Automaker Renault and French utility EDF have announced a major new partnership designed to build a nationwide electric car recharging network in France by 2011.

The two companies have agreed to develop a commercial project that will see the establishment of charging stations and the development of an electric version of Renault's Kangoo van and a new electric sedan called the Fluence.

"This technological and industrial partnership paves the way for innovation that will promote the emergence of a new generation of vehicles that are clean, competitive and ecologically virtuous," said EDF chief executive Pierre Gadonneix, at the launch of the initiative.

The project will receive €400m (£312m) of state backing over the next four years, which has been personally guaranteed by President Sarkozy.

The technical details surrounding the precise network remain sketchy, with Renault and EDF yet to announce who will operate the charging stations and related infrastructure.

The early front-runner is California-based Project Better Place, which has confirmed it is in talks about the project. The company is already building electric car recharging networks in Denmark and Israel, based on a model that sees cars quickly swap empty batteries for fully charged ones at roadside stations.

However, the deal is yet to be finalised and other companies, including Chrysler, are developing fast-charging station technology that it claims offers a superior alternative to Better Place's battery swap model.

Renault and EDF said they will look over a number of options and draw up a more detailed plan for rollout by 2010.

The alliance is further evidence of Renault's growing confidence in the emerging electric car technologies.

The company is already working on a similar alliance with Nissan designed to develop electric car technologies, and chief executive Carlos Ghosn said that the need to "reconcile the demand for individual mobility with the preservation of the environment and high cost of oil" meant that the company was fully committed to the development of zero-emission vehicles.

The alliance is also the second major boost for the electric car sector in as many weeks, after billionaire investor and recognised stockmarket bellwether Warren Buffett announced a $230m investment in China-based electric car manufacturer BYD.