Making Espoo an electric car city in partnership with Fortum
Fortum Corporation, City of Espoo Press release 21.10.2008, 12:45
Making Espoo an electric car city in partnership with Fortum Fortum and the City of Espoo in Finland have launched cooperation aiming to enable the wide-scale adoption of electric cars in the city and thus to significantly reduce traffic emissions. A key component of the project is to develop the infrastructure needed to recharge the electric cars in order to make the adoption of them as smooth as possible when car manufacturers introduce them to the markets in a few years. In the first phase of the project during winter, Espoo will acquire three and Fortum 8-10 rechargeable hybrid and battery electric vehicles for test use. Initially, there will be five recharging stations for the cars. In addition to testing different kinds of electric cars and recharging techniques, the project will also focus on the infrastructure needed for the wide-scale adoption of electric cars and on the different ways to pay for recharging, among other things. The suitability of electric cars for use by taxis and public transportation will also be studied. Fortum has a similar cooperation project under way with the City of Stockholm. Electric cars as part of climate change mitigation The electric car project supports the sustainability targets of both Fortum and the City of Espoo. Both parties want to actively mitigate climate change and to work towards a low-carbon society. The cooperation partners believe there is potential for significant usage of electric cars in Finland, and the adoption of them can help to achieve the EU's climate targets. ”According to a study published last week, 75% of Finns believe that using electric cars can help reduce emissions and energy consumption and thus curb climate change. Our goal is to make the transition to environmentally benign motoring easy for people”, says Fortum's Carola Teir-Lehtinen, Corporate Vice President, Sustainability. ”The electric car project is an extension of the City of Espoo's long-term efforts in environmental issues. As a result, Espoo residents have a healthy, green living environment, clean drinking water and good waste management. Espoo's merits include public recreational areas, the new Rantaraitti trail along the Espoo shoreline, and the Nuuksio National Park. The city is an active promoter of environmental technologies. On these grounds, the city is also applying for the European Green Capital Award”, notes Espoo Mayor Marketta Kokkonen. “Among other things, Espoo has signed the voluntary energy efficiency agreement for municipalities and has committed to implementing the climate strategy for the Helsinki metropolitan area. If all 150 cars used by the City of Espoo were electric cars, the carbon dioxide emissions into the air would be reduced by 270 tonnes per year. This would be a significant improvement”, Kokkonen adds. Ideal for urban environments The term rechargeable electric car refers to a plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle that is recharged directly from the grid. An electric motor is as much as three times more efficient compared to a conventional combustion engine, and thus emissions caused by electric cars are significantly reduced. If an electric car is recharged with electricity generated from renewable energy sources, driving doesn't cause any carbon dioxide emissions. Rechargeable electric cars can drive 50-200 km on a single charge with today's technology, making them ideal for urban use where trips are short and driving speeds are relatively low. So the electric motor can replace the gas engine in situations where gas engines are most harmful to the environment. Fortum Corporate Communications City of Espoo Communications Additional information Carola Teir-Lehtinen, Corporate Vice President, Sustainability, Fortum Tel +358 10 45 24118 Pekka Vikkula, Project Director, Technical and Environment Services/Suurpelto Development Project, Espoo Tel. +358 46 8772601