The Greek island of Astypalea within the Aegean Sea is present process an electrical transformation as German carmaker Volkswagen and native authorities authorities convert the island to be electrical autos and inexperienced power.
We first wrote in late 2020 about Volkswagen’s plans to rework Astypalea right into a “inexperienced mobility hub” which might electrify not solely the favored vacationer island’s transport and ride-sharing providers, but additionally its total fleet of autos.
Virtually all new automobiles registered on Astypalea are actually totally electrical from throughout the Volkswagen Group – together with the Volkswagen, Volkswagen Industrial Automobiles, Ducati, and SEAT MÓ manufacturers. There are actually 84 EVs on the island, from zero beforehand.
A brand new journey share service, referred to as ASTYBUS, makes use of Volkswagen ID Buzz electrical vans and has changed the standard bus line, which had solely provided restricted native transport.
A complete of 25% of the island’s inhabitants are commonly utilizing the ridesharing service, which has undertaken greater than 200,000 buyer kilometres over the previous 12 months.
Public charging infrastructure has been put in, a particular subsidy scheme for personal prospects and firms launched, and the autos utilized by native police, the ambulance and airport officers are additionally now electrical.
“Over the subsequent 20 years, we’ll see lots of the adjustments that make up the Astypalea undertaking in different areas of Europe as effectively,” mentioned Maik Stephan, head of enterprise growth of the Volkswagen Group.
“Notably spectacular is the individuals’s change in temper from preliminary skepticism to nice approval. This reveals that fast transformation is feasible if corporations, politicians and society work collectively.”
A current research discovered that assist for this system has grown to 80% of individuals on the island – a “vital enchancment” from the primary survey performed at first of the undertaking in 2021.
The following step within the island’s electrification technique is your complete conversion of its power system, which is to be progressively transformed to regionally produced renewable power.
There are already a variety of small photo voltaic crops which provide the present fleet of electrical autos. Nonetheless, the joint undertaking between Volkswagen and the Hellenic Republic is aiming to assemble a hybrid energy system consisting of a 3.5MW solar energy plant and a battery storage system.
The brand new energy system is predicted to start operation in 2024 and can cowl 100% of the island’s power wants for e-mobility and as much as 60% of its normal wants. By 2026, it’ll shall be additional expanded and can cowl round 80% of the island’s complete power demand.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about local weather change, clear know-how, and electrical autos for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electrical autos and clear applied sciences for Renew Financial system and The Pushed since 2012. His most well-liked mode of transport is his ft.