Renault signs MOU with Istanbul Enerji to bring electric vehicles to Turkey

Renault and Istanbul Enerji, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at promoting electric vehicles (EVs) in Turkey. Under the terms of the MOU, both companies will actively seek out ways to make EVs a practical choice for residents of the nation's largest city.

Renault and Istanbul Enerji will band together to conduct site-specific research before deploying an EV charging network in 2011. To that end, the MOU outlines a plan to organize a group of individuals who will be tasked with the job of making proposals on:

• Multiplying the number of projects that could favor the use of electric vehicles in Istanbul, especially those focused on charging networks,
• Installing and developing a network of charging stations for electric vehicles,
• Developing special projects for fleets, public spaces and cities,
  
• Analyzing the regulations on installing and operating electric vehicle charging stations.

After the proposals are submitted, Renault and Istanbul Enerji will begin to deploy charging stations throughout the city in anticipation of the arrival of EVs by the end of 2011. Follow the jump for more on Renault's MOU with Istanbul Enerji.

[Source: Renault]

PRESS RELEASE

İstanbul Enerji, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and Renault sign a Memorandum of Understanding to implement a program aimed at preparing for a zero-emission* partnership

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is aimed at establishing a partnership to promote and implement electric vehicles in Istanbul, following the example of several other capital cities. The partnership program will cover the deployment in the Istanbul municipality of a charging network for electric vehicles, which will be launched in 2011,
and the rollout of corresponding services and developments.

The MoU was signed by Adnan Çelik, Managing Director of İstanbul Enerji, İbrahim Aybar, Managing Director of Renault MAIS, and Tarık Tunalıoğlu, Managing Director of Oyak Renault, in the presence of Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of the Istanbul
Metropolitan Municipality.

Strengthened by the synergy created between Renault and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the parties have decided to launch preliminary work with a view to encouraging the adoption and promotion of electric vehicles – set for launch in 2011 in the Istanbul municipality – in order to reduce CO2 emissions and the effects of climate warming. To that end, a working group will be set up to obtain practical results on implementing an infrastructure for electric vehicle use in the city by 2011.

The working group will be tasked with making proposals on:
• multiplying the number of projects that could favor the use of electric vehicles in Istanbul, especially those focused on charging networks,
• installing and developing a network of charging stations for electric vehicles,
• developing special projects for fleets, public spaces and cities,
• analyzing the regulations on installing and operating electric vehicle charging stations.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality:

A guardian of the unique heritage of Istanbul, a crossroads of civilizations, the municipality provides municipal services with fairness, quality, productivity and effectiveness, and with a management philosophy that is completely open to development, in order to improve the quality of life in the city, reassert its singular identity and help to make it a renowned capital city.

İstanbul Enerji:

İstanbul Enerji, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, works on projects focused on increasing energy efficiency in Istanbul, promoting the use of environmentally-respectful clean energies, and producing electricity using
renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power and biomass, at a time when the negative impacts of climate change on our planet are becoming increasingly perceptible.

Renault:

With its broad range of zero-emission* vehicles, Renault is one of the world leaders in the development of electric vehicles. Turkey plays a key role in this area, since Renault has a very strong position in the country in terms of both production and sales. Last October Renault announced it would be producing Fluence Z.E., one of its new electric vehicles, at the Bursa plant. Fluence Z.E. will be the first mass-produced electric vehicle in Turkey.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance

The objective of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which sold more than six million vehicles in 2009, is to rank among the top three global carmakers on quality, technology and profitability. It is working on collaborative projects with institutions, governments and businesses, to which it contributes its automotive expertise. More than 60 agreements have thus far been signed worldwide, aimed at developing electric vehicles for as early as 2010 and marketing these vehicles widely from 2012.

* zero emission in use