The announcement that BMW is the new automotive sponsor for the 2012 London Olympic Games, is a ‘serious disappointment’ according to the Autocar’s Hilton Holloway.
In a blog entry, Holloway writes that although there is nothing wrong with using a fleet on 1 Series and 3 Series vehicles to transport Olympic official and athletes during the games, the success of BMW’s bid pushed out other contenders who would have increased the use of electric vehicles and encouraged the instalment of charging points.
Among the other contenders was Nissan, who promised that of the 4000 vehicles needed, at least 2,000 would have been the all-electric Nissan Leaf. According to Holloway, had Nissan been successful, French electric firm EDF would have helped install charging points through capital, giving the city a lasting legacy of EV ready infrastructure.
However Paul Deighton, chief executive of London’s organising committee, told the magazine: “We didn’t want a big fleet of electric vehicles. We’re only just over two years or so away from the games and time is running out to create a viable network.”
According to a blog entry from the Guardian’s Dave Hill, this may come as news to the ears of London Mayor Boris Johnson. In May, when the Mayor delivered his Electric Vehicles Delivery Plan, it promised: ‘The eyes of the world will be on London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for procuring the fleet of several thousand vehicles. One of the key ways to demonstrate our commitment to the “greenest games ever” is for a substantial proportion of the Olympic fleet to be comprised of EVs We will work with and support the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Olympics (LOCOG) to includeEVs as part of Olympic fleet.’
In response a spokesman for City Hall told Hill: “We hope that BMW, through this sponsorship agreement, will take the opportunity to demonstrate their long term commitment to electric vehicles and showcase their new MegaCity car at the 2012 Games.
We will continue to work with all car manufacturers to deliver the Mayor’s plan for 1000 vehicles in the GLA fleet as soon as possible and 25,000 charging points in the capital by 2015.”
In response Hill wrote: ‘Do I detect a note of, well, disappointment?’ Well, you will likely hear an audible sigh, from our readers here, Hill.
