More motorists will be encouraged to use electric vehicles in Glasgow under plans announced last week by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).

The initiative will seek to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points available under a scheme called the Joined Cities Plan around the country.

The £11 million plan aims to connect major cities across the UK with a network of electric vehicle charging points to allow electric vehicles easier access to and between main cities.

ETI Chief Executive David Clarke, who announced the scheme at the Low Carbon Vehicle Event 2009, said: “Enabling plug-in vehicles to compete effectively in a market alongside petrol and diesel vehicles with their extensive infrastructure is a challenge.

"These plug-in vehicles are currently unknown to most consumers, who will want to know if they will be versatile, will they be affordable and will they be as easy to refuel and recharge.

“Through the Joined Cities Plan we will help to enhance the versatility and ease of recharging. Other aspects of the ETI project will determine what it will take to reach a self sustaining mass market.”

The Joined Cities Plan is the result of extensive research and collaboration between global institutions and key vehicle recharging network providers, dedicated to making electric vehicles more accessible to the general public.

Well-known companies supporting the scheme and advising its development include IBM, Siemens, 365 Energy, Elektromotive, and Coulomb Technologies.

The executive member for sustainability and the environment in Glasgow, Councillor Irfan Rabbani said:

“Glasgow is set to become a leader in driving environmental change through the development of electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to make these vehicles a real option for businesses and the public.

“The technologies we hope to bring to the city and the new ground we hope to break with our partners, as part of the Joined Cities network, are about creating a successful and sustainable future for Glasgow.

“The Council is leading by example through facilitating the introduction and procurement of low carbon vehicles and now ensuring the infrastructure required to secure their longevity is in place.”

Other elements of the Joined Cities Plan will include research into how to market electric vehicles, investigating consumers’ preferences, and establishing what infrastructure is needed to support the electric vehicle market.

The Joined Cities Plan will preliminarily include Birmingham, Coventry, Glasgow, London, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Oxford and Sunderland.