Despite the gloomy world economy, venture capitalists are beginning to take an interest in the development of electric vehicles. For the technology to make it into the mainstream global car industry, however, PricewaterhouseCoopers warned there were still 'technological and infrastructural barriers' that first needed to be overcome.

Calum MacRae, automotive analyst with PwC, said: "Until recently, the lack of suitable battery technology has prevented manufacturers investing in them. While technological issues move closer to solutions, the lack of infrastructure for electric vehicles usage has stunted growth."

Despite this, PwC predict the on-going debate about climate change is likely to lead to an "ever increasing receptive business environment" for electric cars, such as the first electric Mini. The US government has introduced new tax incentives for electric cars and the spread of these incentives to other countries, including last week's Irish government announcement, is also likely to help boost their popularity.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment