Posts Tagged ‘Electric cars’

Calling Mobility Mindsets

Monday, May 21st, 2012

What is your vision of urban mobility? What is the definition of quality and sustainability with regards to mobility? How do cities define long term mobility strategies that will deliver on climate goals and maintain competitiveness?

These are the challenges outlined in the Cities of Tomorrow European Commission report to be tackled by the URBACT Capitalisation Mobility Workstream team. We will be organising a workshop at the URBACT Annual conference on 3-4 December and producing a report to inspire cities on the journey to people-centred smart mobility.

We need your ideas and good practices to feed into our work. We will be at ECOMM in Frankfurt in June http://www.ecomm2012.eu/ and at the CIVITAS Forum in September http://www.civitas.eu/index.php?id=12&event_id=453&more

Feel free to contact us at sally@aurora-ltd.com if you have your own challenges or solutions to share. And be sure to join us in Copenhagen for the URBACT conference to participate actively in defining the best approaches for the Cities of Tomorrow.

Sally Kneeshaw
EVUE Lead Expert

Picture: Left to right we are  András Ekes, Metropolitan Research Institute, Budapest,  Paolo Gandolfi, Deputy Mayor of Reggio Emilia, Sally Kneeshaw URBACT EVUE and Coordinator, Robert Stüssi, URBACT Expert, Anette Enemark, Tetraplan, Copenhagen.

Posted in URBACT | 3 Comments »

Eltis – The Urban Mobility Portal gives you the knowledge to deliver new mobility solutions

Monday, February 20th, 2012

eltis“Interested in Know How on Urban Transport?”
“Change urban transport”
“Take action to make it more sustainable”
“Find out what you need to really make a difference”
“Inspire others – and be inspired by them”
“Build your network to help you deliver”
“Share your experience to build better urban transport”

Just log on to eltis.org
Browse its more than 1500 best practice case studies (selected ones in all EU languages)
Read inspiring news stories – 2 per news items working days
Download photos for own use or video clips on good practice implementations.
Get materials and tools to strengthen your arguments
Find events where you can find out even more
And follow the links to build your network. Become a Friend of Eltis. Registration doesn’t give you any obligations, doesn’t cost anything and takes you 2 minutes. Click to http://www.eltis.org/index.php?id=64&relid=68
Wit a registration you can get all services of Eltis free of charge and additionally the monthly Eltis Mobility Update in 6 languages.
If you want to disseminate your urban transport solutions, see Eltis as your dissemination platform. Use the online submission forms for case studies or news items.

The URBACT projects EVUE and Active Travel Network already spread their findings via Eltis.

Eltis which exists since 1998 is an initiative of the EC, DG MOVE and operated by the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI).
Eltis intensely co-operates with other big initiatives like CIVITAS, EPOMM, Managenergy or Covenant of Mayors

Link to Eltis promo clip: http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=23&id=92

Robert Pressl
Active Travel Network Lead Expert

Posted in Urban Development | 1 Comment »

Are Electric vehicules sales falling flat?

Monday, February 13th, 2012

chickenRecent coverage in the UK media has questioned the viability of the electric cars with the observation that there are now more charging points than cars registered in the UK. Given the nascent state of the market, this is a point that is likely to be closely followed.

Most research indicates the ‘chicken or egg’ scenario when it comes to the vehicles as prospective buyers are hesitant due to the lack of charging infrastructure and infrastructure providers are hesitant due to the low number of vehicles. From the URBACT EVUE project experience however, it has become clear that once an initial availability of charging points has been provided, the focus needs to go on education and awareness training.

This can be achieved through Electric Vehicules days where people can test the cars and experience the cars for themselves. In addition, a focus on getting electric vehicules  into commercial fleets will contribute significantly as they give access to large numbers of employees to travel. So perhaps it’s less of which comes first, but both come together.

Read more:

Matthew Noon
EVUE Lead Partner

Posted in Urban Development | 2 Comments »

Addressing Climate Change at Local Level…

Monday, December 5th, 2011

evue_carWith the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban this last week, it has got me wondering how we can seek to address its issues at a local level. After all, if all politics is local, with the challenge of climate change and global warming that is facing us all, isn’t this the ultimate local question?

In Durban, and at the preceding conferences in Cancun and Copenhagen, the focus has been on extending the Kyoto protocol; addressing global warming by stabilising and ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At first glance it appears there is little we can do about these truly global problems, but is that the case?

In the URBACT funded EVUE project, cities are discussing how they can best aid the transition to electro mobility to address the challenges posed by the internal combustion engine – not least the emissions of greenhouse gases. With the growing urbanisation of people across the world, and more people in cities than rural areas for the first time in history, this is a clear example of how cities are required to take a lead and the global has become local.10% of the global population live in only 100 cities , if each of those cities adopted e-mobility as the plan for the future, the reduction on global emissions could be significant.

But how are cities supposed to do this? Especially given the financial challenges affecting us all? Isn’t this a luxury we cannot afford at this time?
The Mayor of Lisbon Antonio Costa was recently asked what his motivation was for investing in electric mobility and was it a vote winner? His response “”I don’t think so,” the mayor replied. “Right now the number of users of electric cars is small. For a long time we will have more parking spaces for electric cars than people using them. But it’s a duty of politicians to anticipate the needs of the future.”  (author’s emphasis)

While Mayor Costa may be seen as particularly visionary, it is a clear illustration of the global being local. So what can the individual do?
One model that URBACT suggests is the formation of Local Support Groups which bring together diverse stakeholders to address these common challenges. Too often, local discussions are framed by ‘us’ and ‘them’ positions. A Local Support Group works by bringing all stakeholders in and its by working together we can achieve the benefits for all. But it needs all stakeholders – not just the usual suspects of industry and policy makers, but the citizens, academics, young, old and business people.

Through working together and developing a new way of responding to the challenges, we can overcome the barriers and find the opportunities that will address the issues we are facing. Where the global has become local, the local can now be global.

Read more:


Matthew Noon
EVUE Lead Partner

Posted in URBACT | No Comments »

Electric Vehicles – noise reduction, noise production?

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

elvinAlongside a cooling of urban relations with the motor car, through the years there have been many sound arguments put forward supporting moves to revolutionise mobility management in our cities. The increasing interest in applying traffic calming measures has been provoked by the need to counter the paralysing  impacts of congestion but also as a result of concerns raised in connection with road safety, pollution, visual and spatial hindrance, etc. The aspect of noise generated by traffic was also part of this consideration, but often appearing subordinate as citizens seemed almost to have been conditioned to accept this as part of normal urban life.  Nevertheless EU figures suggest, that as a result of road traffic alone, during daytime around 40% of the population are exposed to noise levels exceeding 55dBA (30% night time) and 20% are exposed to levels higher than 65dBA. While it might be argued that in itself, this does not constitute a “harmful” level of exposure, it is a serious part of total urban noise production and in many cases the noise generated by road traffic is continuous and therefore more than simply intrusive or annoying.

Renewed, and today truly operational, interest in electric (and hydrogen powered) vehicles presents us with a new weapon to tackle the problems of traffic related noise. While vehicle noise is  the sum of noise produced through moving contact with the road surface together with engine noise, still the relative silence of the electric motor has real potential to seriously reduce noise levels in our cities (even although technological advancement is also improving this feature in fossil-fuelled vehicle engines).

It seems strangely incongruous then, that the benefits of silent locomotion may have to be offset against the objectives of one of the other traffic calming motives, namely road safety. A study currently being conducted at the University of Warwick is researching the introduction of an artificial noise component to diminish possible dangers of the silent vehicle particularly for key risk groups, the elderly, children and people with reduced sight capacities. The project is testing an electric vehicle, ELVIN (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise) using various noise options in an attempt to find new reduced sound levels, but simultaneously which emit the necessary warning signal (presence, speed and acceleration) which people associate with approaching vehicular transport.  Synthetic noise linked to motor power is being evaluated here, but reactions indicate that options (even considerations of music) and opinions differ greatly both on questions of necessity and on the most effective sound type. There have been suggestions to adjust the use of sound to times of day, to specific types of urban landscape (around schools). Similarly the operation of sounds could be linked to speed or smart GPS systems, while many manufacturers will probably prefer a sound which corresponds to the image of the vehicle they want to project.

This suggests that there are many questions to be answered and that the search to find an optimal, broadly accepted solution(s) will be an extremely delicate exercise. However the results of this study which also employs people with impaired vision as privileged test cases, can have a useful input to EU legislation on electric and hydrogen car sounds which is currently in stages of preparation.

Why not try evaluating ELVIN yourself by following the link.

Some other relevant projects on traffic noise in the EU:

Philip Stein
Thematic Pole Manager

Posted in Urban Development | 2 Comments »

What can we do to ensure cities are sustainable now?

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

EVUE-logo-typeCities are responsible for nearly 80% of carbon dioxide emissions, and in the EU transport accounts for around 25% of those emissions. So it follows that de-carbonising urban mobility is a critical challenge to ensure sustainable cities. Many believe that electro mobility can play an important part in multi-modal strategies to green transport. This is a new area of fast moving technology and policy, and the opportunity for city planners and policymakers to share successes and failures with peers across Europe can help to avoid costly errors and to get electric vehicle strategies right.

The EVUE (Electric Vehicles in Urban Europe) project within the URBACT Programme provides a platform for cities to learn together how best to increase the use of electric vehicles.
EVUE is led by Westminster City Council in London, and involves 10 European cities: Beja, Lisbon, Katowice, Madrid, Frankfurt, Oslo, Stockholm, Suceava, Zografou and London. The article « Plugging in to go green » published in the 2010 URBACT Tribune presents the starting point of the three year EVUE knowledge transfer programme.

So why should cities be considering electro mobility strategies to ensure sustainability and what can they do now?
There is no doubt that electric cars can help to make our city streets cleaner, quieter and more attractive. The obvious advantages are that they are well suited to urban mobility patterns, decrease CO2 emissions and can harness renewable energy. They can also play a part in reducing noise and improving air quality.
All electric powered vehicles are zero emission at point of use, so there are no harmful gases or pollutants when they are driven. Around 50% of car trips in cities are less than 6 km in length. Electric vehicles’ current limited battery range of anywhere between 40 and 160 km, depending on the model, does not represent a problem for the short distances involved and will only continue to improve.
Although these improvements are clear they require a change of mindset amongst drivers. There are still real and perceived barriers of cost, performance and range, and a lack of charging infrastructure. Public information and financial incentives – such as tax breaks, subsidies, free parking and charging- are thus key tools to encourage citizens and businesses to swap their gas guzzlers for more sustainable options.
The political agenda in Europe is favourable with the EU Climate and Energy Package 20:20:20 targets and the emphasis on clean technologies for economic growth.
So cities can lead in setting ambitious targets to introduce vehicles and establish charging infrastructure. This sends a strong signal to the market and to citizens and encourages confidence. Incorporating electric vehicles into municipal fleets is a logical step. And ‘lighthouse projects’, like clean taxi services and car sharing schemes provide visibility and get the public more accustomed to the concept of electric vehicles.
Of course electro mobility does not represent the total solution to greening transport.  Multi- modal strategies are needed that encourage all forms of cleaner mobility and that reduce congestion and the need to travel. But electric cars have the potential to form a vital component. They can help cities hit clean air and CO2 reduction targets and ultimately become more attractive places to live.

The EVUE project will contribute to understanding how electrification of mobility could be a tool for low carbon city strategies By creating effective new partnerships through URBACT Local Support Groups, cities participating in EVUE, together with carmakers, car lease and hire companies, energy suppliers, infrastructure companies, businesses and civil society can develop a better understanding of the practical challenges. With a joined up approach it should be possible to catalyse the move towards electrification of mobility and capture regional benefit in the de-carbonisation of transport and sustainable economic growth.

Read more:

Special Report: EVUE – “Enabling electric vehicles to prove themselves in the street” – URBACT website

Sally Kneeshaw
EVUE Lead Expert

Posted in URBACT | 4 Comments »

Belgium prepares for the electric car – already a complement for new URBACT project EVUE?

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

elec_carsWith a comment which might suggest history is repeating itself, “Electricity is the fuel of the future”, the Belgian Secretary of State for Mobility inaugurated the first charging post for electric cars in the country on the 17th of December, 2009. This first infrastructure access point was installed perhaps not surprisingly in the premises of a car leasing company in Zaventem. It was followed by an announcement from the McDonald’s hamburger chain that they would open a “public” charging point (the next day) linked to their fast-food outlet in the Maasmechelen shopping centre, as part of a strategy to spread out this service to their other similarly located restaurants across the country (Europe?).

Simultaneously Total Belgium also announced plans to develop points at initially 10 petrol stations, while a new petrol station company ElectraSun has introduced a charging point at one of its stations in Grobbendonk, using green energy based on solar power source.

These initiatives are strongly supported by Belgian government policy developed in recent weeks and based on the premise that promotion of new electric vehicle types can counter the problems currently being experienced in the automobile production industry (General Motors, Volvo and Ford all have plants in Belgium with GM under apparent/imminent threat of closure). The strategy appears to be, to create a performing widespread charging infrastructure network to benefit electric vehicles, as a way of ensuring that Belgium will be in the front line for location of an electric vehicle production plant.

Philip Stein, URBACT Thematic Pole Manager

Posted in Urban Development | No Comments »