Astypalea should become a model. The island’s transport system in the southeastern Aegean will be converted to electric vehicles and renewable energies, the Greek government and Volkswagen have agreed. “In the long term, Astypalea should become a model island for climate-neutral mobility,” said a statement from Wolfsburg. The project will initially run for six years.

Konstantinos Fragogiannis, Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, and Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess want achieve that less traffic and that it roars quietly across the island. The electricity required for this is to come primarily from locally generated, regenerative solar and wind energy.

Part of the project is to be a year-round electric ride-sharing service. A part of the conventional vehicle rental will be converted into a car sharing, which in addition to e-cars also offers e-scooters from Seat and e-bikes. Around 1500 vehicles with internal combustion engines would be replaced by around 1000 replaces electric vehicles, explains Volkswagen, which is planning its models ID.3 and ID.4 for this.

Electric vehicle fleet and wall boxes Commercial vehicles for the local economy as well as police and ambulances and the public sector vehicle fleet are also to be electrified. Volkswagen also wants to install Elli wallboxes for the charging infrastructure on the entire island.

VW ID.3 – first exit (10 Photos) The ID.3 should be from October be delivered.
(Image: VW) “Our long-term goal is climate-neutral mobility for all. And with the Astypalea project we will find out how this vision can be achieved today, “said Diess. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis added: “Governments cannot meet all expectations on their own and the private sector does not have the answer to every question.”

Aristotle shows the way Margo T. Oge from Volkswagen’s Sustainability Council brings Aristotle into play, who is said to have said: “In our darkest moments we have to concentrate, to see the light. ” The Astypalea project is a light in the dark and will help to show the clean mobility of the future.

First exit: VW ID.4 (12 Photos) At first glance, the VW ID.4 looks bigger than it is. Cars like Skoda Kodiaq and Volvo XC 60 are even more voluminous .

(Image: press-inform) Astypalea has around 1300 residents and is annually from about 72. 000 visits tourists, explains Volkswagen. There are currently two public buses running on a small part of the island. Today energy comes almost entirely from fossil energy sources.

Impressions from Astypalea (9 pictures) (Image: heise online / Markus Feilner (CC-BY-SA 4.0)) The project planned for the island is more extensive than the one Renault is carrying out for the village of Appy in the department of Ariège at the foot of the Pyrenees. The residents there 25 get Renault Zoes for three years and only use this privately and professionally.

“Smart Island” Astypalea

(Source: Volkswagen) (anw)