In Copenhagen, going green goes way beyond biking around town. The solution? The government’s green energy policy is looking to electrical vehicles (EV) to make the city free of fossil fuels in the future. The city is paving the way for the rest of Europe when it comes to smart city solutions in the public transportation sector, linking citizen’s needs with the corporate world.
The world’s largest investor-owned electric utility service provider, E.ON, is already on board with the plan, investing in infrastructure for electric cars and gas for transport, in addition to acquiring Better Place Denmark’s 770 electric car charging stations. Learn more about how Copenhagen is connecting public, government and corporate players to design its e-mobility future.
Copenhagen as a testing ground for green vehicles
Given the small size of Denmark and its well-designed infrastructure, it makes sense that its environmentally aware citizens are interested in going green when it comes to transportation. One of the first draws tax-free electrical vehicles since 1983. Pair this factor with the ease of integrating electrical vehicles into the electrical grid and Denmark becomes the perfect playground for experimenting with the conversion of internal combustion engine cars to electrical vehicles.
Copenhagen, in particular, is showing how corporations like Copenhagen Electric, E.ON Danmark, State of Green and Copenhagen Capacity can collaborate with citizens to transform these ideas into smart city solutions that actually do have an impact on those using these modes of transportation. There are currently between 300 and 400 EV’s registered in Copenhagen, and the city has 255 of its own, hitting its goal this spring of 85 percent of the municipality’s vehicles being electric-, hydrogen- or hybrid-powered.
Following Copenhagen’s EV example
Knowledge sharing and communication are key when it comes to driving the development of EV projects. Infrastructure is also an important area for smart cities to consider. Copenhagen is looking to up the number of public charging points to 5,000 by 2020, making this mode of transport even more accessible to citizens.
The City Council is also reserving 500 parking spaces for EV providers to run charging stations over the next decade. The end goal is to have fewer vehicles on the road, meaning fewer parking spaces and lower pollution. With workshops on green transportation and study trips in Copenhagen, the city is also putting its e-mobility plans in the public eye.
