Last year, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero approved a 600 million euro subsidy to promote electric car purchases in hopes of cutting oil dependency and emissions. The Industry Ministry predicted 20,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles would be registered in Spain by the end of 2011. By the end of 2012, the projection was 50,000 registrations.

As of August 2011, only 213 electric cars were registered—a paltry one percent of the projected goal. It seems initial expectations were unrealistic. Spain is hoping the plug-in hybrid, which will become available starting in January and uses both gas and electricity, will sell better than purely electric vehicles.