22nd May 2009

Boris Johnson is bringing power to the people! London’s Mayor has promised to set up 25,000 charging points for electric vehicles by 2015.

The £60million scheme is part of a plan to reduce CO2 emissions in the capital by 65 per cent. Speaking at a climate change conference in Seoul, South Korea, he said any new building developments would need one charging point for every five parking bays.

He also plans to introduce rapid-charging points at petrol filling stations, to make London Europe’s ‘electric car capital’. And Boris’s dream of 100,000 electric motors could come true if German giant Daimler gets its way. The Mercedes and Smart owner has bought a 10 per cent stake in Tesla, maker of the radical electric Roadster.

The two firms will build a new battery-powered Smart ForTwo by late 2009, with the first cars set aside for Mobility projects in Berlin and Italy. Mass production then starts in 2012. After that, further Mercedes, such as the A-Class and B-Class, will get the Tesla treatment.