Danish participation in IEA 'Hybrid and electric vehicle implementing agreement' phase 3 2007-2009

Surging oil prices, the dependency of transportation on oil products and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have caused significant interest in developing alternative transport technologies and fuels. Battery-, hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles are among the most promising technologies. Hybrid vehicles are a market success, especially in Japan and the US. The purpose of the project has been to resume Danish participation in the IEA ''Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Implementing Agreement'' (IA-HEV), which is an important international forum to exchange objective information on electric and hybrid vehicles and their effects on energy efficiency and the environment. At the same time the project gives an opportunity for Danish participation in the related Annexes. The Danish representative has been interim operating agent for a new Annex on ''Renewable Energy for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles''. This annex has been incorporated in a new annex on ''Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles'' with many participating countries. During the project period the interest in hybrid and electric vehicles has been strongly increasing all over the World and in Denmark too. A number of new countries have joined the IA-HEV implementing Agreement, and other countries as well as the European Commission participate in the meetings as observers. In Denmark many new companies, organizations and individuals have been interested in hybrid and electric vehicles. They have received information about the work of the IA-HEV group, primarily through the lA-HEV Annual Reports. There has been a considerable interest in these annual reports which give an overview of the work with hybrid and electric vehicles in the IA-HEV group and in the member countries. In November 2009 Denmark hosted an IEA-workshop on ''Grid Connected Vehicles and Renewable Energies - Exploring Synergies -'' which was held at Energinet.dk in Fredericia. The workshop was well attended by foreign and Danish participants and a follow-up was planned as part of the ''Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles'' Annex