23 October 2012: The Clean Energy Ministerial Electric Vehicle Initiative (EVI), chaired by the International Energy Agency (IEA), gathered major automotive manufacturers and representatives from EVI member countries on 19 October in Stuttgart, Germany, for a public-private roundtable to discuss pathways for increasing electric vehicle use worldwide.

The meeting focused on how partnerships can encourage markets to be favorable toward electric vehicles, stimulate consumer interest and build on existing efforts to promote electric vehicles (EV). In its publication Energy Technology Perspectives 2012, the IEA projects that by 2050, half of passenger vehicles will need to be electric. The IEA is working toward increasing prevalence of electric vehicles to 20 million by 2020, and on ways to increase sales of electric vehicles toward this end.

IEA encourages member governments and auto makers to collaborate on factors like electric vehicle standards, infrastructure to support electric vehicles such as smart grids combined with electric vehicles to enhance national storage capacities for renewable energy, and incentives for electric vehicle use. IEA presented the meeting as an opportunity for manufacturers and governments alike to offer ideas.

Topics discussed at the meeting included matching supply and demand, determining the most effective non-financial incentives for electric vehicle purchase, encouragement of electric vehicle procurement in the private and government sectors, and ways to promote industry and government collaboration to reduce costs and stimulate innovation. [Press release]