Fastbox to sell and repair E-Cars
Fastbox has set its sights on E-Cars as the car repair chain announced it will sell and maintain an Italian firms electric vehicles.Fastbox, who have 20 branches across Austria, said today (Fri) it will soon begin selling Piaggios E-Cars. The Austrian firm added it would also offer to repair the Pontedera-based companys Porter model which costs around 20,000 Euros.Fastbox explained this new service was made possible by agreeing with Faber, the general importer of Piaggio in Austria.Fastbox started selling Zero, the electric vehicle by Piaggio rival Tazzari, in April.It has to be seen whether there will be much demand for the E-Car models in Austria since the country is behind internationally. Recent analysis revealed that only 223 electric cars and 1,105 cars equipped with natural gas engines were registered in Austria in 2009.Insurance firm Generali found that four in ten Austrians drivers ruled out spending more on a new car if it was a hybrid or equipped with an electric engine. The insurers poll also showed that a meagre 10 per cent of Austrian motorists could imagine life without a car as 64 per cent said they had used them everyday last year.Frank Stronach, founder of the Canadian-Austrian car industry supplier Magna, meanwhile announced he was ready to invest 65 million Euros into the development of an E-Car model.Stronach told magazine News he will approach the Austrian government to inform it of his plans shortly to decide over where the E-Cars will be developed and built.”You dont have to be a scientist to realise that well run out of oil sooner rather than later. I see a great future ahead for the electric car,” The Styrian businessman said.