Air pollution is damaging the city's world-renowned architecture and priceless works of art. The use of electric vehicles within the city walls would help protect the beauty of the Tuscan regional capital for future generations.
In a move designed to protect the heritage of Florence, the City Council and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have joined forces to promote the use of electric vehicles in the city. The Mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, joined Jacques Bousquet, the Chairman of Renault Italia, and Andrea Alessi, the Managing Director of Nissan Italia, in Palazzo Vecchio to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the development of zero-emission mobility.
Under the MoU, the City Council and the Alliance will jointly undertake an in-depth study into the introduction and use of Renault and Nissan electric vehicles in the city of Florence. It will promote:
"We want to turn Florence into an environmentally sustainable city," said Matteo Renzi, Mayor of Florence. "We are working on several initiatives to reach this goal, through a holistic approach, from our "Zero-volume Structural Plan" to public transport, from generating hydro power from the Arno River to to the sustainable civil works under energy saving criteria of "Casa Clima" as well as transforming several areas of the city into pedestrian areas. Today's agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance is another big step towards this goal as it will help us lay the ground for the successful adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles in this city. From now to 2016 we are thinking to a free "eco-pass" based on sustainability, as it happens in other cities: only EV owners or car-sharing users will have free access to the city centre of Florence".
"The Memorandum of Understanding signed today is an important milestone for Renault in the move to make electric mobility a concrete, real solution in widespread use in urban environments," declared Jacques Bousquet, Chairman of Renault Italia. "A symbol of Italian cities of art, with a great wealth of monuments that are sensitive to atmospheric pollution and an old town that attracts visitors from all over the world, each and every day, Florence is an ideal setting for zero-emission mobility. Our intention is to collaborate with the Administration to make Florence a model of sustainable mobility, where the availability and use of innovative zero emission vehicles meets with the needs of its citizens and with the future of this great city," he added.
"We are proud to have signed this agreement. It will enable us to build a strong partnership with the City of Florence, which has started down the path to improve the quality of life in the city environment," commented Andrea Alessi, Managing Director of Nissan Italia. "Florence is one of the most important capitals of arts and culture in the world, an ideal environment in which to develop a project for zero-emission mobility. The memorandum signed today is a significant step, allowing us to offer Nissan's technological expertise so we can contribute to a real enhancement of the environment."
Renault's commitment to zero emission mobility will be seen later this year with the launch of a complete range of 100% electric vehicles. They include the Kangoo Z.E. van, the Fluence Z.E family sedan, the ZOE city hatchback and the innovative two-seat Twizy.
Nissan LEAF is the world's first mass-market 100% electric vehicle. It has won international acclaim having been awarded the prestigious accolades of 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year 2011. It has also been awarded the top 5 Star score in the Euro NCAP safety tests. Nissan LEAF is already on sale in Japan, the United States and Europe and is the first of a revolutionary generation of EVs that Nissan will develop over the next few years to satisfy the needs of a sustainable mobility all around the world.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the global leader in zero-emission mobility. To enable the mass marketing of electric cars, the Alliance is collaborating with governments, local administrations and power companies to prepare the infrastructures, solutions and political measures needed to encourage the move towards this new means of transport. To date more than 100 partnerships have been signed by Renault and Nissan.
* The use of the expression ‘zero-emissions' refers to the actual use of the vehicle.