Rio de Janeiro Launches Public-private Partnership for Zero-emission Transportation

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Rio de Janeiro State Government signs multilateral memorandum of understanding with Renault-Nissan Alliance, Petrobras Distribuidora, Light, Ampla and Rio Negócios to pave the way for electric vehicles

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed today among Rio de Janeiro State Government and leaders from Brazil's public-private sectors to accelerate zero-emission transportation in Rio de Janeiro. The partners for this historic deal are Renault-Nissan Alliance, Petrobras Distribuidora, Light, Ampla and Rio Negócios.

As part of the MoU, the parties will study the possibility of producing electric vehicles in the state, as well as the entire infrastructure necessary for running such cars. The project is part of the Rio Capital Energy Program, coordinated by the State Department of Economic Development, Energy, Industry and Services of Rio de Janeiro.

"We want to make sure Rio de Janeiro will be a world's reference in energy for the twenty-first century, repeating the vocation that Rio already has in the area of ​​traditional energy," said the Secretary of the State Department of Economic Development, Energy, Industry and Services, Julio Bueno, commenting on the program.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are currently rolling out pilot programs that use the Nissan LEAF as part of the cities' taxi fleets.

Renault and Nissan have been consistently committed to zero-emission technology. The companies have invested €4 billion in the past two decades to develop electric cars that consume no petroleum and can be recharged on pure renewable energy.

The first fully electric mass-produced vehicle to hit the market was the Nissan LEAF, which debuted in December 2010. Renault recently launched the ZOE subcompact and has a range of other zero-emission options including the Fluence Z.E. sedan, the Twizy urban two-seater, and the Kangoo Z.E. van.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold nearly 100,000 zero-emission cars, more than all other major automakers combined.

"Renault-Nissan is in the vanguard of electric vehicles. This new initiative reaffirms our global commitment to offering sustainable urban mobility that is fun to drive," affirmed Carlos Ghosn, the Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO during this morning's announcement.

For the full press release, go to: http://www.media.blog.alliance-renault-nissan.com/news/rio-de-janeiro-launches-public-private-partnership-for-zero-emission-transportation

Contact:
Marcelo Rodrigues
Nissan Brazil
Marcelo.rodrigues@nissan.com.br
+55(21)2134-9192

Caique Ferreira
Renault Brazil
caique.ferreira@renault.com
+55(41)9648-6777