The efficient rollout of a network of charging points for electric cars will also help to reduce Spanish consumers’ electricity bills, according to Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodgriguez Zapatero.

“The electric car can contribute to reduce the cost of power as it will increase the use of generation and distribution infrastructure,” Zapatero said at the government’s presentation of its strategy to develop the electric car in Spain.

Spain’s socialist government has grouped together six of its ministries, major car manufacturers, energy companies and infrastructure groups, which pledge to build a network to serve an expected 250,000 plug-in cars by 2014.

A network of charging points for electric cars could utilise excess power generated by Spain’s many wind farms at off-peak times and currently wasted due to lack of demand.

Spain’s capacity to export cheap wind energy has been hampered by a lack of interconnection with the rest of Europe through France, to which it has a capacity to export just 1.4 gigawatts of power.

The government will invest 590 million euros and replace public sector conventional vehicles with electric ones to meet the target for 250,000 plug in cars in 2014, 85 percent of which are expected to belong to commercial fleets and 15 percent to private owners.