Volkswagen and its eco-friendly Greek island
Volkswagen is participating in the ecological transition of a Greek island by supplying electric vehicles to Greek services. The Greek island of Astypalaia is like the automotive industry, it operates its...
14/01/2022
Volkswagen participates in the ecological transition of a Greek island by supplying electric vehicles to Greek services.
The Greek island of Astypalaia is doing like the automotive industry, it is making its ecological transition. And this one is sponsored by Volkswagen, which uses Astypalaia as a giant open-air laboratory. The German group has just delivered the first electric police car, before delivering to private customers from the start of the summer, with ID.3, ID.4 and e-Up!. Seat Mo electric scooters will also be sold. Currently supplied with electricity partly by diesel generators, the island intends to reduce its CO2 emissions by 25% thanks to the installation of a photovoltaic park. Excess energy will be stored in batteries all over the island. The Greek public authorities announce that by 2026, green energy will cover 80% of the island's needs.
“Scientists from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and the Aegean University in Greece will monitor and systematically assess the transformation of Astypalaia. The study will focus on the population of Astypalaia and its behavior towards transformation A series of surveys will explore general views on electro-mobility and the intention to opt for an electric vehicle, thus providing a better understanding of the main levers and obstacles to transformation. The results of the study will be made public and may help other regions to accelerate their transition to electro-mobility.
Within five years, Astypalaia will have become a sustainable and intelligent island. Mobility will be electric, powered by green electricity produced locally. New mobility services such as car sharing and carpooling will replace the existing basic bus service. The overall goal is not only to improve mobility, but also to reduce the number of vehicles on the island by around a third."
Obviously, this type of experimentation is much easier on a small island with strong sunlight, where trips are short, than on the whole of a large country with multiple constraints.