Transport Minister Joe Mizzi today said that a number of battery operated vehicles would be used by government departments as part of the DemoEV project co-funded by the EU’s LIFE+ - a financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU.

He also said that those who volunteered for the project will test the cars over the next eight weeks as part of the study.

In June, a fleet of 24-battery operated cars were launched by the ministry as part of the project – one that initially kicked off back in 2011 and ends in December 2014.

The objectives of the project are reached by involving volunteers from the population at large to test the vehicles purchased as part of this project, who in turn will provide the entities involved with feedback on driving patterns and usage habits, facilitating the understanding of changes in transport that will support the attainment of the country’s climate change targets in line with the EU’s 2020 objectives.

Mr Mizzi announced that the use of such vehicles will be done over a period of eight weeks, between this month and the end of next month.

Regarding the charging pillars of the electric vehicles, following a geographical distribution sought by the government covering the whole of the Maltese islands, he said that the pillars are currently being installed, a total of 100, across the islands, with 90 pillars being installed in Malta and 10 in Gozo. The pillars will all be in place by December.

These sites will be even visible online and users will have the possibility to book a charging slot online or via a mobile app. Currently, the only charging pillar that exists is installed at the ministry for transport in Floriana purposely to charge the ministerial car.

Mr Mizzi said that his ministry presented a donation in the form of training courses to the Civil Protection Department. Former police commissioner John Rizzo, who was appointed director of the CPD, was present during the news conference.