As the world commemorates the International Day of Clean Energy last Friday, January 26, a day dedicated to fostering awareness and action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy, ERTICO – ITS Europe stands at the forefront of transformative initiatives in Clean & Eco-Mobility.
Transportation represents a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total. Governments, the European Union, and international organisations recognise the imperative of making mobility more sustainable. ERTICO embraces this challenge and positions itself as a key contributor in driving innovation for cleaner and more efficient transportation solutions.
Through its unique role with its Public-Private Partnership, representing over 120 members, ERTICO aims to facilitate and develop Intelligent Transport Services (ITS) and smart mobility innovations, assessing greener services and products, including electro-mobility as a key focus. ERTICO’s active involvement in projects advancing the development of interoperable electric vehicle charging infrastructure is also crucial for the widespread adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs).
ERTICO’s Roadmap for 2035 outlines key milestones in the journey towards widespread zero-emission mobility, both in urban and non-urban areas, including on the Trans-European Transport Network. Through innovative platforms and partnership projects, ERTICO is actively working to support the realisation of these milestones, driving the vision of a sustainable and environmentally conscious future in transportation.
Through innovative EU-funded projects in the field of clean and eco-mobility, ERTICO works on six leading projects. One of the pioneering projects, eCharge4Drivers, aims to substantially improve the EV charging experience to make it more convenient and support investors and authorities to deploy new charging infrastructure and services in a user-centric and sustainable way. Led by ERTICO partner ICCS, the project reached an important milestone last year in its quest to make EV charging easier for users. It also continued to trial and demonstrate its solutions across ten demonstration sites, including collecting valuable feedback through its External Interest Group.
Another flagship project in the field is SOLUTIONSplus, establishing a global platform for shared, public, and commercial e-mobility solutions to enable transformational change towards low-carbon urban mobility through innovative and integrated electric mobility solutions. ERTICO is leading the project’s work with clean energy start-ups around the world developing innovative light electric vehicles. Last year, ERITCO organised a training course on innovation management to support them on their journey to success. As a follow-up to this training, ERTICO is now organising specific coaching sessions with some of the project start-ups to help them develop and create a business model canvas.
ERTICO’s comprehensive approach to advancing cleaner and more sustainable mobility solutions extends beyond technological innovation. ERTICO also play an active role in various European and global associate partnerships, such as 2ZERO, a co-programmed partnership aiming to accelerate the transition to a European carbon-neutral road transport system by 2050. ERTICO contributes to this partnership through active dialogues and knowledge exchanges in research, development and demonstration of technologies allowing the integration of new solutions for a clean road transport system. It is through this partnership framework which the eBRT2030 project was launched last year. eBRT2030 seeks to create a new generation of electric Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems to improve public transport and tackle climate change and air pollution in urban areas. The project will boost the rollout and development of eBRTs through demonstrations in six cities in Europe and one in South America in real and specific settings.
Another new addition within this partnership, as part of ERTICO’s work in clean and eco-mobility, is LeMesurier, a Coordination Support Action (CSA) that will determine a common framework for monitoring the multiple and various KPIs (including their sources, methods and reporting formats) of the 2ZERO partnership related to the road transport challenge. Based on the results of ongoing projects, it will also provide recommendations for developing and analysing the means
NextETRUCK, coordinated by ERTICO Partner TNO, is another key contributing project within the 2ZERO Partnership. Through its mission to provide a sustainable solution to bring zero-emission trucks to the freight sector, NextETRUCK plays a pioneering role in the decarbonisation of vehicle fleets. In addition, it aims to bring about at least an increase of at least 10% in energy efficiency in zero-emission electric medium freight haulage compared to existing highest-end benchmark EVs of the same size category and operating for similar mission profiles.
Another addition to ERTICO’s own coordinating portfolio of innovative EU-funded projects with the 2ZERO Partnership is ZEV-UP. The project will develop a zero-emission, multi-purpose, and modular Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) for passenger and goods transport. The ZEV-UP vehicle will consist of three variants adapted to different needs that reuse materials for enhanced sustainability and have a swappable battery to reduce costs for the user and improve energy efficiency.
ERTICO’s commitment to creating a cleaner eco-mobility future is evident in its role in driving decarbonisation, including support of Research and Development (R&D) for innovative lower carbon solutions and their integration into transport systems and future mobility through multi-stakeholder partnerships, platforms, and projects. ERTICO’s City Moonshot initiative is one example which aims to engage, inspire and empower cities by understanding their needs and requirements related to smart mobility solutions and ITS. Through interviews with over 150 cities worldwide, the City Moonshot initiative reveals a significant shift towards cleaner eco-mobility. Cities are declaring climate emergencies, measuring air quality, and adjusting transport policies based on environmental considerations. The majority are actively taking steps to address the climate crisis and promote citizens’ well-being, such as promoting additional cycle lanes, increasing investment in public transport, and establishing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. As ERTICO remains at the forefront, it continues to guide public and private partners in crafting detailed roadmaps to meet ambitious targets, ensuring a greener and cleaner eco-mobility future for all.
“As the International Day of Clean Energy encourages global collaboration for a cleaner and more sustainable world, ERTICO’s pioneering work in clean and eco-mobility stands as a testament to the transformative potential of intelligent transport solutions and services,” comments Dr Johanna Tzanidaki, Chief Innovation Officer. “By leveraging advanced technologies, such as smart infrastructure and connected vehicles, we strive to create a harmonious synergy between mobility and sustainability.”
Learn more about ERITCO’s work in Clean & Eco-Mobility.
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