This agreement between Nissan, Circutor, DBT, Efacec, Endesa and Siemens is expected to result in a dramatic reduction in the price of the units- by over half to under €10K- paving the way for businesses such as service stations, car park operators and retail outlets to install quick chargers and run them profitably as a commercial enterprise. Such technology would allow owners and drivers of electric vehicles to recharge the car's battery to 80% capacity in less than half an hour.

Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan chief operative officer, said: ‘We are confident that the Nissan LEAF's range will be enough to satisfy most drivers' daily needs. However, with a significant number of QCs available across Europe, EV owners who need to drive longer distances will be able to do so with confidence, knowing they will be able to recharge no matter where they go, which we believe is essential for the mass adoption of EVs. ‘

As a result, it is expected that there will now be thousands of QC’s across Europe by the end of 2012, and tens of thousands by 2015.