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To ensure the success of alternative drive technologies and to raise acceptance for technology even more, the use of electric mobility in day-to-day life is especially important. Cities and municipalities are key partners on the road to the mobility of the future.
Direct contact with ordinary people is one of best ways to allow them to experience electric mobility first hand and to awaken their interest in alternative drive technologies and intermodal systems of mobility.
A wide range of municipalities are involved in the Baden-Wuerttemberg LivingLab BWemobil electric mobility showcase, the model region or other projects, to study the use of electric mobility on the street, within the systems of mobility themselves. The commitment shown by these municipal partners allows projects to be put to the test on the street under actual conditions, making a considerable contribution to obtaining new findings.
But the direct application of electric mobility is not the only thing the cities and municipalities of Baden-Wuerttemberg are involved in: from a business point of view, the many companies (especially small and medium-sized businesses) are helping advance the industrialisation of new technologies. The municipalities profit from this in the long term through the creation of new jobs or from the opportunities to get involved in collaborations.
Alternative drive technologies and sustainable public transportation systems will have major environmental ramifications for the municipalities: cities and municipalities in metropolitan regions or densely populated areas are usually the ones to suffer from heavy traffic and emission problems. The introduction of electric mobility has the potential to considerably reduce harmful emissions and improve quality of life in the long term.
e-mobil BW involves municipalities in its activities and works together closely with very committed cities and municipalities. With a total of 179 municipalities, the region of Stuttgart has been a model region for electric mobility since 2009, and receives support from the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) in the context of this national programme. Furthermore, three model municipalities were named in Baden-Wuerttemberg in which various projects related to electric mobility are being implemented. The municipalities Schwäbisch Gmünd, Ludwigsburg and Offenburg receive ongoing help from e-mobil BW for their activities and projects, and support on location.
The municipalities are also involved in the activities of the electric mobility showcase in Baden-Wuerttemberg, and an increasing number of individual regional projects are being implemented. In 2013 in the context of the ideas competition “Electric Mobility in Rural Areas” 20 model projects were selected. These projects, which involve the use of electric mobility especially in more rural areas, receive support from the Ministry of Rural Areas and Consumer Protection in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
These are some of the measures by which e-mobil BW is following a roadmap to achieve sustainable mobility. The aim is to comprehensively integrate electric mobility and a corresponding infrastructure into the mobility systems of Baden-Wuerttemberg by 2020.
Changes in mobility behaviour, the acceptance of new means of transport and the introduction of new technologies must start with local people. Local authorities therefore play a key role in the implementation of new forms of mobility. They are a catalyst and driver for sustainable mobility. They can create the right framework to make the mobility transition attractive for both citizens and businesses.
Support for this ambitious task is provided by the InKoMo 4.0 platform, which is made available to local authorities and mobility providers in cooperation with the BW Association of Cities and Towns and e-mobil BW. This gives companies the opportunity to respond specifically to the needs of local authorities with solutions. Together, not only are the digital competences in municipalities being expanded, but weak points in the municipal mobility environment are also being eliminated. InKoMo 4.0 is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior for Digitalisation and Municipalities.