On November 16th and 17th, the organization Véhicule du Futur organized the Mobilis meetings. During the conference, George Lammoglia, president of the Franche-Comte and Alsace division of competitiveness, and François Loos, vice-president of the Alsace region, looked back on the various innovations introduced to the territory in urban mobility. The program notably included the launch of an aid for individuals and small local businesses in the purchase of electric vehicles.

A dry run in the city of Strasbourg
In May 2010, the city of Strasbourg launched a series of demonstrations of the Toyota Prius hybrid and public charging stations for this new generation of vehicles. 80 of these vehicles are still used by local companies as well as 18 car park charging points and 8 others on the road. For the Japanese firm, this initiative helps them take the pulse of the market before the commercialization of this hybrid, scheduled for 2012. And for the city, it’s a valuable showcase for its innovations in the field of electric mobility. Running on an all-electric mode independently for only 20 miles, then as a hybrid vehicle, this Prius, which emits only 59 g / km of CO2, is a test run Strasbourg. A run which will still cost, during the three-year experiment, some 16 million euros, shared between ADEME, EDF and the urban community.

Electricity extended to the entire territory of Alsace

Today, the région is forging ahead. François Loos, Vice-President of the Regional Council of Alsace has used the open forum of the Mobilis meetings to announce the region’s launch of a large financing project for electric cars. The plan, available to individuals and businesses with fewer than 10 employees, aims to double the 5000 euros provided by ADEME for the acquisition of an all-electric car: “We also want individuals to try electric,” said Francois Loos, marking the opening to the grand public following the testing of the Prius plug-in hybrids, reserved for only a few employees of area businesses. “The density of the Alsace region in fact suits the electric car,” said the vice president. “People drive less than 100 km per day.” In addition, most residents live in individual houses: “We therefore believe that the region is quite favorable for electric car recharging at home.” Despite this assistance, the purchase price remains inaccessible for some households and is only profitable for those who travel more than 10,000 km per year, between 20 and 30 km per day.

Today, François Loos reveals he’s been in contact “with superstores who want to take advantage of their large car parks by making non-pay charging stations available.” The latter, who have often made petrol pumps available to their customers, have everything to gain by installing free charging stations. Each recharge will cost them only a few cents and the customer will likely spend a few euros in the store while charging up. Following the ban on plastic bags, retailers have another opportunity to green their image.
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Credits : Communauté Urbaine de Strasbourg

Translated by Genny Cortinovis

Related content : Alsace region, Mobilis, mobility, Strasbourg