German municipalities prepare for electric cars

755 Verband kommunaler Unternehmen (VKU), the association of municipal companies in Germany, has announced that from 2012 more than 33 municipalities will set up a dense network of charging stations for electric cars. The municipalities involved are not only large cities such as Munich, Cologne or Leipzig but also smaller towns such as Unna and Borken. Customers will be able to use the charging stations with special cards and the electricity will be paid for via their normal electricity bill. VKU says the measure is not only to promote the use of electric cars but also to improve customer loyalty to the local electricity supplier.