Launching a clean vehicles web portal

Summary

A new website was launched in order to give owners of clean vehicles in Sweden essential information about running, maintaining and fuelling their car.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Reinforcing Stockholm’s efforts to promote clean vehicles as a solution to environmental and energy concerns, information was made available on an easily accessible public website at national level in order to boost the market penetration of clean vehicles.

Prior to the launch of the web portal, information about clean vehicles was available on different websites but there was no guarantee about its reliability. With the rapid developments taking place in the field of clean vehicles there was a real need to provide potential buyers and users with accurate and constantly updated information. Earlier studies had concluded that a website focusing on clean vehicles, readily accessible by drivers, buyers, vehicle companies and fuel companies, was vital to support the ongoing developments.

The website, which was created with an English translation, featured:

• contact details for those involved in the promotion of clean vehicles and in TRENDSETTER projects in Sweden, as well as of fuel companies and dealers;
• an overview of the various definitions of clean vehicles in Stockholm and Sweden, based on or including factors such as accepted fuels, exhaust gas content and amount of carbon dioxide;
• information about vehicle models, importers and retailers;
• calculations of the environmental benefits of clean vehicles, both in terms of energy needed for the production and distribution of the fuel, and the daily use of the vehicles;
• the possibility to make calculations regarding the economics of clean vehicles compared to conventional ones;
• printable maps showing fuelling stations with addresses and prices, updated with information received directly from fuel producers and distributors;
• continuously up-dated information about national and relevant international legislation on clean vehicles, including taxes, subsidies and benefits;
• links to other related information on clean vehicles and closely related issues, including links to the websites of public authorities, fuel and vehicle producers and distributors, environmental networks dealing with clean mobility and environmental organisations; and
• continuously updated good practice examples from around Sweden.

Progress

• Discussions and negotiations with the cities of Gothenburg and Malmo regarding an agreement for a web portal dedicated to clean vehicles resulted in the launch of the site in spring 2004 and the subsequent development and marketing of the portal.
• Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the web portal for drivers of clean vehicles was carried out in December 2004 and the results were analysed in January 2005.

Outcomes

Since its launch in May 2004, the number of visitors to the website www.miljofordon.se increased steadily. By the end of the TRENDSETTER project in 2006, the website had had more than 25,000 individual visitors per month.

Some 69 percent of surveyed visitors in 2004 regarded the site as very reliable and the website has clearly contributed to the promotion of clean vehicles in Sweden.

The website is also regarded as neutral and comprehensive. Once financing from CIVITAS ended, www.miljofordon.se was further developed and maintained by the three cities. It is now established as one of the most important websites in Sweden for owners of clean vehicles.