Electric cars showcased at Paris Motor Show

Major carmakers are racing ahead with electric vehicle technology as many of the big brands such as Jaguar and Nissan display new plug-in and hybrid cars at the event.

Cristiano Carlutti, the vice president of Europe sales and operations for Tesla, says interest in electric vehicles would surge.

PARIS // Major car makers are racing ahead with electric vehicle (EV) technology as many of the big brands such as Jaguar and Nissan display new plug-in and hybrid cars at the Paris Motor Show.

The industry event, which opened to the public yesterday, for the first time features a special pavilion dedicated to electric and hybrid technology. New models from traditional car makers, such as Jaguar's C-X75 sportscar that use a combination of gas turbine and electric motors, are joining existing EV companies, such as Tesla in which Abu Dhabi investors have a stake.

Cristiano Carlutti, Tesla's vice president of Europe sales and operations, said the surge of electric vehicles would help spark public interest in the technology. "If we are the only company doing electric, the infusion of electric mobility will be somehow limited," said Mr Carlutti. "It is very good if other manufacturers bring more products, because that will enhance the awareness of this technology in the public."

Electric vehicles have been around for years but interest from major car makers has recently bloomed, with retailers such as Nissan rolling out their first mass-market versions. IHS Global Insight, the analysis company, forecasts that electric vehicles, including hybrids and battery-only powered cars, will make up about 20 per cent of the global market for light vehicles in 2030. Dr Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler and the head of Mercedes-Benz cars, said electric vehicles were still in the early stages.

"I would say in 2020 it would be more like 5 per cent," he said. "But again, nobody can really say." And obstacles to mass consumer acceptance of these vehicles remain. The development of powerful, long-lasting batteries and ready access to reliable power grids for recharging are key issues, says IHS. The high cost of the technology and the lack of subsidies, particularly in the Middle East, are other roadblocks, it adds.

Amedeo Felisa, the chief executive of Ferrari, said electric vehicle technology would not be ready for the mass market for about five years. There is less of an urgency for Ferrari to go electric because the emission levels of its cars are already relatively low. The vehicles are typically sold in small quantities and cover an average of just 7,000km a year. "The emissions of Ferraris, per year, is lower than the [Toyota] Prius," Mr Felisa said.

The luxury sportscar company will focus on reducing the emissions of its engines until electric vehicles can deliver the high performance and characteristics expected of the brand, he said. The latest Ferrari California model has 30 per cent fewer emissions than in the past, he added. "Full electric for us means [losing] one of the big characteristics of our cars, what you can call the noise or the music of the engine," Mr Felisa said. "If you go to electric then you are losing that.

"Today we imagine a way to challenge the emissions without moving in that direction."