E-car sharing system and 5 fast EV charging stations launched in Koprivnica
The anniversary of the City of Koprivnica, on 4 November 2014, offered a great opportunity for launching of the public electric car charging station system HEP ELEN implemented by the national electricity company HEP. Koprivnica was the first city in Croatia where the system was established and HEP aims to expand it later to other cities.
The system will be used by the newly established e-car sharing system, presented to the public for the first time in the same event, developed by the City of Koprivnica in scope of the CIVITAS DYN@MO project. Koprivnica is the leading city in Croatia in promoting electromobility.
At the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Koprivnica Vesna Zeljeznjak stressed the importance of electromobility in the implementation of the city’s sustainable energy policies. The City of Koprivnica has included energy efficiency and environmental protection in its development policies, aiming at achieving European aims expressed in the EU 2020 strategy. Ms. Zeljeznjak  expressed her gratitude to the National electricity provider HEP for establishing the EV charging system and to the national Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, which has co-financed the purchase of the electric vehicles through its program Ekopoticaj.
Helena Hećimović, local dissemination manager of the CIVITAS DYN@MO project explains: "The car sharing system involves six electric cars, one hybrid and one plug-in hybrid vehicle. It will serve 200 employees of the city administration, municipal enterprises and institutions. It will be closely monitored whether the system will achieve the main objectives: 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the city’s car fleet and 24% reduction in operating costs of cars owned by the City and different municipal institutions and enterprises. The charging stations will be also used by electric buses introduced in the public transport system pilot implemented within the DYN@MO project, which will be established next year."
The ceremony was attended by Mr Drazen Pros, Deputy Minister of Enterpreneurship and Crafts, Mr Perica Jukic, CEO of HEP, Mr Ivica Skoric, project manager of HEP ELEN program, Mr Sasa Cvetojevic, founder of the Zagreb enterpreneurship incubator and the most influential champion of electromobility in Croatia and Mr Zvonimir Mrsic, CEO of Podravka d.d. as well as the representatives of the local project partners.
Author: Helena Hećimović
