115 million euros in subsidies for electric mobility development in Germany
The German economic stimulus package also offers some interesting prospects for North American electric car and parts manufacturers
BOCHUM,
"North American companies in the electric mobility industry are very interested in the European market because the capabilities of the vehicles at present are better matched to the shorter travel distances in
North Rhine Westphalia is one of the eight model regions where German road transport is to be "electrified" in this plan. By mid-September 2009, NRW will present its "Master Plan for Electric Mobility." In addition to offering financial incentives for the development of an infrastructure of charging stations and technology pilot projects, the NRW master plan will detail the formation of a closely-meshed network of international electric mobility businesses.
North Rhine Westphalia: Best preconditions for "electrifying" innovation in the center of Europe
The Ruhr valley, a region in the German federal state of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), boasts one of the most important concentrations of industry worldwide. In addition to being one of the leading regions in
5.2 million people live in the Ruhr valley, within an area of roughly 30 x 50 kilometers (1,500 square kilometres). By comparison, roughly 693,000 people live within an area of 1,371 square kilometres in Hamilton, Ontario (Statistics
Large transnational corporations such as Daimler, RWE and Evonik - all with operations in the state - have recently succeeded in making significant breakthroughs in the development of new battery technologies.
City of Bochum is an example of the shift to electric automobiles
The city of Bochum and the surrounding area is a leading location for the automobile industry in the Ruhr valley, particularly due to the Opel manufacturing operation there. The medium- and long-term prospects are excellent because of the well-developed supply chain, advanced local research facilities and the availability of a highly skilled workforce. There is also a possibility that the new electric Opel, the "Ampera" - equivalent to the American "Volt" model - could be manufactured in Bochum. Magna, the potential investor in Opel, already has links to Canadian businesses in the electric mobility industry.
To support the development of its electric mobility efforts, the city of Bochum recently launched the ruhrmobil-E initiative, which aims to make the Bochum region the technological front-runner in electric vehicles and charging technologies.
As part of the ruhrmobil-E initiative, the Bochum electricity utility launched the first five "intelligent charge points" for electric cars in close cooperation with Bochum universities and many network partners from the ruhrmobil-E initiative. The launch took place during the "Bochum goes e-mobile" week, which was held in early September. The network-operated charging stations were developed by California-based Coulomb Technologies together with European partner 365 Energy Group.
Due to its central location, the city of Bochum benefits from the enormous market offered by the state of North Rhine Westphalia. Since last year, with the program of activities "Growth for Bochum" additional impetus has been given to grow the region. The Growth for Bochum program was initiated by the NRW state government together with the Finnish company Nokia following the decision by the company to close its mobile phone manufacturing facility in Bochum.
About North Rhine Westphalia
With an export volume of Euro 174 billion, the State of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) is ranked 18th worldwide and is thereby considered equivalent to
NRW is the location of choice for investment in
North Rhine Westphalia is positioned at the heart of
About the Bochum area
More than 15,000 companies already appreciate the advantages of Bochum's location at the heart of the Ruhr valley. The benefits of the city's position are further reflected by the high export ratio of the businesses operating here, at over 50 percent. With around 40,000 students, the Ruhr University of Bochum together with four further universities of applied sciences promise investors and steady supply of qualified graduate employees and well-trained managerial staff.
To view "North Rhine Westphalia at the heart of Europe" please click: http://files.newswire.ca/783/nrw_in_europe[1].pdf
For further information: Contact for journalists (in Canada): Annie Boucher, Fuse Communications and Public Affairs, 1605-71 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K2P 2G2, T. (613) 863-3702, E. [email protected], Web: www.fusecommunications.ca; Contact for Investor Relations: Jim Podolak, (President, JWP Strategy International Ltd.), 223 Colonnade Road South, Suite 204, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K2E 7K3, T. (613) 228-9280, F. (613) 228-0985, E. [email protected]
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