ElectriCity shows the way in Europe

“Within the EU there is immense interest in what is happening in Gothenburg. Noise, air quality, energy and climate are traffic-related issues that all cities are struggling with, and this is strongly reflected in EU legislation. Of all the solutions being discussed, electrification tops the agenda. ElectriCity is thus entirely in line with both the EU’s over-riding goals and the various cities’ aim to develop in the future,” relates Sebastian Marx, CEO of the Gothenburg European Office in Brussels.

Many people are curious about the technology used for ElectriCity, but what impresses people most is the joint process itself.

“The fact that so many actors from the business and commercial communities, the city and academia have succeeding in coming up with a well-functioning cooperative structure, and in such a short time taken a previously unproven idea all the way to a fully functioning route run by electric buses in regular operations, is very inspiring. It proves just what can be achieved by joining forces, and it has inspired several other cities to try something similar.”

Since the start of operations, the Transport Minister of Brussels, several representatives of the EU Commission and 16 mayors from various Scandinavian cities have visited Gothenburg to gain a first-hand insight into the joint ElectriCity venture and to see how the electric bus route functions in real life. Not least, the buses’ low noise level, the indoor bus stop at Teknikgatan, and the quiet bus stop at Sven Hultins plats have generated many ‘aha’ experiences.

In parallel Sebastian Marx and his colleagues have worked hard to spread the word about ElectriCity both in their own seminars and within the framework of EU projects designed to stimulate new ideas for the development of next-generation smart cities.

“We want to show that Gothenburg is an innovative, interesting partner for other cities that want to invest in electrified public transport and that appreciate the doors it opens for urban development. Gothenburg has a strong automotive cluster, leading research in mobility, and an ability to transform vision into practical action through cooperation. This is an amazing strength that we are now showcasing through ElectriCity.”