Affordable Autos and Cars

Figures released today have shown that only sixteen electric vehicles have been registered in Spain over the last seven months.

This is still an increase on 2009 though when only one was legally on the roads.

The Spanish government had in April revealed a plan to sponsor people buying the eco-friendly vehicles, giving them a reimbursement of 20% on the vehicles value (up to 6,000 Euros). Which is thought to have cost the taxpayer around 80 million Euros.

The government funded Wind Power and Electric Vehicles group defending the figures saying:

"The figures are similar to what happened in their day to personal computers or mobile phones," it argued. "The first models are expensive and with few extras and sales are slow. But somewhere around 2012 dozens of electric vehicles with lithium batteries and at a lower price will reach the market – and the recharging infrastructure will be in place."

The original target was to have 2,000 electric and hybrid vehicles on the roads by the end of the year and 20,000 by the end of 2011, this dream now look pretty unachievable.

Experts believe the reason behind the low sales is the government’s previous committals to alternative energy and how it has cut funding to them. Wind farms flourished in Spain until 2008 when taxation and corruption damaged the sector irreplaceably.

The government has verified this saying that they believe more than 15% of the 3 billion Euros spent on alternative energy was claimed fraudulently.