Greece’s city of Trikala continues its tradition of innovation, being the first Greek — and one of the very few European cities — to offer electric vehicles to its visitors and residents for public use.
Following the introduction of driverless buses, Trikala will soon provide brand new electric vehicles, manufactured as part of the European Union’s ”Elviten Project.”
The Elviten Project, which aims to promote sustainability in European cities, has a vision of providing small, user-friendly electrified vehicles which could be used for inside-the-city transportation needs across the continent.
This European project is part of the broader EU initiative called “Horizon 2020.” The project involves six European cities: Trikala, Greece; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Bari and Genoa, Italy; and Malaga, Spain.
Yiannis Kotoulas, the CEO of the company which will operate the system, said that “the time has come for local residents and visitors to use electric vehicles, as Trikala Municipality staff have been using them for fifteen days now.” Koutoulas made his remarks in an interview with with the state-run AMNA news agency.
Kotoulas explained that three of the vehicles will be stationed at the central square and three at the city’s Matsopoulos Park.
”Any resident or visitor can take them and use them, simply by showing their ID and a driving license for a motorbike. The vehicles are insured, they have number plates, they are fully legal to use and they can go anywhere,” Koutoulas explained.
He added that the new vehicles have “an autonomous range of about 80 kilometers (50 miles) and a top speed of about 35 km/hour (22 mph).”
The vehicles will stay in Trikala for at least one year, and the local authorities are in high hopes that the project will be successful.
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