2009/09/03
Sustainable mobility, the educational challenge
September is rich in educational initiatives promoting sustainable development.
Hit of the week
In September 2009, sustainable mobility is at the heart of the news. For the first time in France, the European Mobility Week and the Road Safety Week will take place at the same time, from the 16th to the 22nd September 2009. During this week, the French Ministry for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea will be setting the tempo, with a clear message: "Get around differently". It’s a concept based on ideas such as road sharing, fuel-efficient driving, car pools, etc. Also, in the UK, numerous activities in 37 cities and towns are planned with the aim of heightening the population’s awareness of sustainable transpor. The website of European Mobility Week lists all the projects planned.
The OVE (French Research Institute for Business Vehicles) 2009 Barometer shows that 25% of decision-makers in French companies are ready to acquire 100%-electric cars. Moreover, in September, the OVE is launching the OVE Mobility Tour, a series of conferences that will take place in the majority of large French towns, pushing forward elements of new mobility for business collaborators. Electric vehicles, car sharing or even transport intermodality will be at the centre of these meetings between business decision-makers, local and regional authorities, car industry players, environmental specialists, and business vehicle experts.
Other innovations enhance the prestige of sustainable mobility in all its forms, proving that the process has begun.
Sustainable mobility and individuals
Sustainable mobility is now present in everyday events. This is how Caradisiac reports the willingness of the organisers of the Rock en Seine festival – taking place from the 28th to the 30th August in St Cloud, near Paris – to favour sustainable mobility for concertgoers. The list of public transport serving the festival site is provided to web users, thereby encouraging them to enjoy themselves while respecting the environment.
A surprising innovation in clean public transport is reported by Gas 2.0, with a hybrid bus capable of running on biomethane as well as diesel. Which means people can be transported making the most of the flexibility of this hybrid engine.
The summer school of the School of Engineers of the Town of Paris (EIVP), which took place between the 31st August and 4th September 2009, is the proof, announces archicool.com.
Indeed, although the school was created in 1959 to respond to the needs of the town, today it is orientating its research, and has been doing so since 2006, towards the sustainable town, favouring new energy sources, mobility and resilience of towns.
Sustainable mobility in practice
On the practical side of sustainable mobility, the Israeli-American start-up Better Place, whose principal aim, according to its director, is to "facilitate the transition to fully electric vehicles through the creation of a network of entirely automatic recharging terminals and mini battery-replacement stations", has just announced the set-up in Tokyo of a pilot project aimed at testing its battery switch technology on a fleet of electric taxis. This project, reports the Mediterranean Association for the Future of the Electric Vehicle (AVEM), will start in January 2010 and will benefit from the support of the Japanese government. On this occasion, Better Place also finalised a partnership with Nihon Kotsu, the largest taxi company in Tokyo.
Newspress, an English press agency specialised in the automobile industry, adds that the rental company Europcar, which recently put an environmental charter into place, will be relying on Renault for its transition to electric vehicles. It has around 2,500 European locations, targeting the 80% of European motorists who drive less than 60 km per day and who could therefore consider going electric.
Finally, the figure of the month: 11.5%, this is the increase in sales of Segways during the first 6 months of the year in Great Britain, voiture electrique.net tells us. According to the website, this 2-wheel vehicle, heralded as a revolution in personal, short-journey transport, which was launched in 2001-2002, has not hit its sales targets. There are various reasons for this but the hybrid aspect of the vehicle unfortunately holds up legislation. With a limit of 2o km/h, the Segway is banned from being driven on pavements, but also from the road.
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