A unique partnership on a European level, consisting of 19 cities, 17 automobile manufacturers, 12 energy companies and a number of prominent organizations in the field of ICT and research, has submitted a project proposal to the European Union. This proposal, co-ordinated by the City of Rotterdam, aims to promote electric transport in Europe. Under the name of EVA (Electric Vehicles for Advanced cities), this consortium responds to the appeal of the European Union to set up a pilot project for electric transport and to promote economic recovery.
Other Dutch cities besides Rotterdam, including Amsterdam and BrabantStad (an urban network of the province of North Brabant, ’s Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Helmond, Breda and Tilburg) also participate in this consortium.
More electric vehicles
With financial aid from the European Committee, EVA wants to integrate electric vehicles into the urban environment, and to achieve sustainable forms of urban mobility. The approach applied to reach this goal is focused on increasing the number of electric vehicles on European roads, and improving the position in the market of this type of vehicles. A demonstration and research platform, in combination with the introduction of 9,500 electric vehicles, will contribute to this purpose.
Largest European demonstration
Having realized a total number of 14,000 charging stations in the various European EVA cities, the project has demonstrated that it is, indeed, possible to have a properly functioning network in place of charging and maintenance stations. This will accelerate the developments of new technology and the expansion of the network. EVA intends to present the largest European demonstration in this context. In addition, the huge scale of its execution has created a realistic environment to test and evaluate the impact of electric vehicles on our daily lives. This is necessary in order to develop recommendations and scenarios that may lead to the introduction of sustainable forms of mobility. By contributing to the creation of a dynamic market for electric transport, EVA has become an important partner for economic recovery in Europe. During the second half of 2010, clarity will be provided on whether the European Committee will provide funding for the project proposal.