Introducing electric vehicles for public transport

Rethymno is introducing the first clean vehicles into its municipal and PT fleets, including an electric car and a mini e-bus.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Rethymno launched the first public e-vehicles in the region, including one electrical mini bus and one electric car, and by doing so aims to promote electromobility (e-mobility) to citizens and visitors. The e-bus, accessible to people with disabilities, will serve a new pilot route to connect the city centre with the main parking facilities of the municipality and the city beach, which is 3.5 km long. The municipal e-car is used by the Technical Services department of Rethymno Municipality and serves as a moving advert and promotion for e-mobility.

The main objectives of the measure are to:

increase awareness for electromobility and electric vehicles demand.
increase use of vehicles that utilise clean fuels in public transport fleets.
reduce CO2 emissions in the city centre.
reduce private cars/taxi circulation, launching a new circular route along the city beach.

The measure includes:

Procurement of one e-car for the Technical Services department of Rethymno Municipality.
Leasing one mini bus to operate, with the collaboration of the public transport operator, new circular routes to provide citizens and tourists with access to the beach.
A promotional campaign to promote electromobility and the use of the e-bus;
Attractive signage of the route stops and of the e-vehicles;
Assessment report and users’ satisfaction survey.
Business model to keep the new route self-sustaining and identify replication potential in more routes/services/areas.

How did the measure progress?

The activities implemented so far are:

Market survey and specifications definition for the electric vehicles;
E-car procurement for the Technical Services department;
Design of promotional signage for the municipal e-car and e-bus;
Consultations with tourism stakeholders and public transport operator;
Design of two new pilot routes for the e-bus (a summer and winter route);
Public procurement process to lease one mini e-bus.

What were the outcomes of the measure?

The expected outcomes of the measure are:

Introduction of clean vehicles to the municipal and PT fleets. That will see one e-bus and one e-car in circulation, which will also promote e-mobility.
New seasonal routes serving the city beach and the city centre, contributing to reductions in private vehicle usage, traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.
Evaluation of replication potential in more routes/services/areas.