Wellington City Council hopes to have electric vehicles on the streets before Rugby World Cup kick-off in September next year.

The council’s draft annual plan allocates $50,000 toward an electric vehicle pilot programme in conjunction with private and state-owned enterprise partners, with emphasis on the development of a business fleet.

Council representatives met Nissan last week, including executives from Japan, to continue negotiations. The manufacturer already has a deal with the Christchurch City Council.

Principal climate change adviser Chris Cameron told NBR that the council is also in discussion with government agencies, academic institutions and electricity retailers, including Meridian.

“We’re confident that there’ll be support for this,” he said.

The council’s draft climate change action plan, released simultaneously with the annual plan, makes reference to electric vehicle availability in prominent tourist localities like Wellington International Airport and cruise ship terminals, “particularly in conjunction with the Rugby World Cup in 2011.”

Some infrastructure investment in charging facilities, parking and signage is expected.

At an electric vehicle and biofuels conference in Wellington last week, Meridian technology partnership manager Nigel Broomhall warned that an aggressive uptake of electric vehicles in pocket areas could “melt transponders,” although he reassured audience members that such uptake was unlikely.

Mr Cameron said grid capacity was not an issue for the trial, as manufacturers are “only rolling small numbers off the line at this stage.”

Public submissions on the draft annual plan and climate change action plan close on 10 May.