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Info per Country and EU policy
16.05.2012:
BYPAD improves cycling policy in cities
16.05.2012:
Gdynia rewards cycling commuters (Poland)
Bergen
Status Quo:
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of 261,000 as of March 28, 2011. Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of 385,700 as of March 28, 2011.
Regional/Local Clean Procurement Initiatives
In March 2011 a procurement process for electric vehicles was introduced by Bergen Kommune. The background for the procurement is Bergen municipality’s car policy (discussed in the City Government 11.4.2007) where i.a. it is decided that existing cars shall be subject to consecutive replacement and new cars which generate lesser emission of greenhouse gases shall be procured. The object is to test out electric cars in order to obtain experiences with use, suitability and operation. This experience shall be used in connection with future procurements, if any. The procurement includes 15 electric cars for Bergen municipality; c/o Bergen home care services, 1 electric car for the Home Nursing Care Service in Årstad, 3 electric cars for Lindås municipality.
Regional Information Sources
Oslo
Status Quo:
Oslo is a county and municipality, as well as the capital and largest city in Norway. As of 2010, the metropolitan area of Oslo has a population of about 1,422,000 of whom 912,000 live in the contiguous conurbation. The population currently increases at a record rate of over 2% annually, making it the fastest growing city in Europe.
In Oslo, air pollution from public and private transport has increased by approximately 10% since 2000, contributing to more than 50% of total CO2 emissions in the city. With Norway’s ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2050 Oslo City Council began investigating alternatives to fossil fuel-powered public transport and decided on biomethane. Biomethane is a by-product of treated sewage. Microbes break down the raw material and release the gas, which can then be used in slightly modified engines. Previously at one of the sewage plants in the city half of the gas was flared off, emitting 17,00 tonnes of CO2. Since September 2009, this gas is trapped and converted into biomethane to run 200 of the city’s public buses. The net emissions from a biomethane operated bus are zero, because the carbon originally came from the atmosphere rather than fossil fuels, but electricity is used at the sewage plant to convert the gas from the waste into fuel for the buses. Oslo city council is taking the electricity used to generate the fuel into consideration and calculate that carbon emissions per bus are 18 tonnes per year, a saving of 44 tonnes of C02 per bus per year.
Regional/Local Support Instruments for Clean Vehicles
In 2005, Oslo established the environmental award Glassbjørnen to put the absolute minimum of 140 g/CO2/km to emissions from vehicles that are purchased. In addition, it was introduced monitoring system for emissions and implemented training for employees in "Eco-Drive". According metrics from GRIP and Oslo, this results in the emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 is reduced by 690 tons in three years, while the municipality will save 4.5 million kroner.
Regional Information Sources
Stavanger
Status Quo:
The city of Stavanger is located in the South-West coast of Norway, with a population of around 100,000. Despite, the oil industry being the main employer in the region, the city of Stavanger's transport policy aims at reducing dependence on petrol/diesel vehicles in order to reduce polluting vehicle omissions.
Over the past decade, Stavanger has introduced electric powered buses to its public transport system and implemented the necessary infrastructure for private electric cars. From year 2000, the city of Stavanger - together with five other European cities, i.e. Milano, Rotterdam, La Rochelle, Erlanden and Stockholm, participated in the EU/Thermie project, entitled ELCIDIS (Electric City Distribution Systems) in order to implement an electric vehicle city distribution system which has involved a review, of urban-freight in Stavanger and a replacement of goods vehicles with electrically powered vehicles.
A review of the transportation needs of 4 companies/organisations was conducted along with a feasibility study of the routes travelled within the city in order to determine whether steep hills would be prohibitive to electrically powered vehicles. 8 electric vehicles were introduced as follows:
- 2 vehicles for energy company Lyse Energi AS;
- 4 vehicles for the post service;
- 1 vehicle for the municipality;
- 1 vehicle for the state road authority.
The vehicles were built by Citroen and Mercedes, the maximum payload range between 300 and 500 kg. The gross vehicle weight is between 1400 and 3000kg. Top speed is 90km/h and the vehicles have a range of 60 - 80 km. In the first year of operation, the distance travelled by the vehicles totalled 54,000km and the companies experienced very few technical problems with their operation e.g. battery breaking down in a vehicle used by Stavanger Kommune. The limited driving range that is often used as an argument against electric vehicles was not found to be a limiting factor in this project. Cost analysis showed that the savings per electronic vehicle to the organisations was 1,00 EURO per 10km travelled. The use of electronic vehicles has continued to increase in the city with strong encouragement and incentives from the local government.
Fuelling Infrastructure
Within ELCIDIS a new charging station was built in the city centre to facilitate use of electric vehicles.
Regional/Local Support Instruments for Clean Vehicles
In 2009 Stavanger hosted EVS-24, a global electric transportation forum at which the latest technology in electric transport was showcased. As part of the event there was an electric vehicle road race from Oslo-Stavanger which is anticipated to attract much media attention.
Regional Information Sources
Trondheim
Status Quo
Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of some 173,000, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative center of Sør-Trøndelag county. Trondheim lies on the south shore of the Trondheimsfjord at the mouth of the river Nidelva. Trondheim has an increasing population of 2.5% per year and the road traffic in the urban area creates a reasonable emission and dust problem. To redce the problem Trondheim has implemented a programme for e-mobility that make the city to one of the worldwide leader in this field. The majority of taxis and public authorities vergicles in the city are electro vehicles.
Fuelling Infrastructure
There is a cappilar network of more than 100 public recharging stations which are free of costs for users.
Regional/Local Support Instruments for Clean Vehicles
The city offers a number of tax incentives for the use of electro vehicles resulting in the fact that the purchase of an electro car is not more expensive as for a conventional one as well as the annual usage costs is lower. The most efficient incentive is the full exemption from the luxury tax which is sometimes 50% of the vehicle purchasing price. Furthermore there is a full exemption from the VAT of 25%. Electro vehicle does not pay annual circulation tax, no City Maut, can use dedicated bus lanes and are free of charge for parking.
Regional Information Sources
