Around 2,000 European towns and cities are raising awareness of sustainability from 16 to 22 September. For many cities, the annual EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign is an opportunity to showcase their measures to boost electro-mobility:

Brno, Czech Republic, is promoting electric car sharing, electric bikes and scooters. The city is organising a guided tour of an electric aircraft developed at the Brno University of Technology.

Gijón, Spain, will put on an exhibition of electric bikes and electric cars for local residents. The city is also hoping to address people with limited mobility.

Residents in Aberdeen, UK, will be able to discover the benefits of electric vehicles and test them at an electric vehicle roadshow. A new park and ride service will be introduced in the east of the city, which will allow for the charging of electric vehicles as well as bike parking.

Utrecht, Netherlands, will host an electric bike roadshow and a temporary test course on a business site. In addition, the Dutch city of Leerdam is implementing a new strategy to promote the use of electric cars.

In France, Versailles will put on electric bikes and electric buses for people who want to discover the city’s cultural treasures over the weekend. Cagliari, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain, will launch new electric buses at the end of the week.

Pavia, Italy, has installed a ‘solar flower’, an artificial flower equipped with solar panels to provide power to an electric car charging station.

The Portuguese city of Guimarâes is organising an exhibition of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Lidköping, Sweden, is inviting people to test electric bikes. There will be a competition and the prize will be…an electric bike. This takes place as part of a bigger event focusing on health.

The Platform for Electro-Mobility believes that: “Europe needs to speed up the electrification of all means of transport and become a leader in electro-mobility.”

‘Smart and sustainable mobility – an investment for Europe’ is the theme of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2016. The call-to-action ‘Smart mobility. Strong economy.’ reflects the principle that investing in sustainable mobility moves our economy forward.

This year’s message on the economic benefits of smart and sustainable mobility is in line with the new EU strategy towards a low-carbon economy. Two thirds of total oil demand comes from transport. In 2015, overall spending on crude oil imports in the EU was €187 billion. The shift from fossil to hybrid and electric vehicles would enable Europe to save €47 billion by 2030.[1]

Electro-mobility also has economic benefits at an individual level: the owner of an average new car in 2020 will save about €300 to €400 on fuel each year compared to an owner of an average manufactured car in 2010. Replacement of an ICE car by a Light Electric Vehicle will result in even bigger savings.

The electrification of urban transport would contribute to the EU’s jobs and growth priority, as electric vehicles can create 11 million net new jobs by 2030[2].

[1] European Climate Foundation, Fuelling Europe’s Future, http://www.camecon.com/Libraries/Downloadable_Files/Fuelling_Europe_s_Future-_How_auto_innovation_leads_to_EU_jobs.sflb.ashx

[2] European Climate Foundation, Fuelling Europe’s Future, http://www.camecon.com/Libraries/Downloadable_Files/Fuelling_Europe_s_Future-_How_auto_innovation_leads_to_EU_jobs.sflb.ashx