European Premiere: Unlimited Electric Mobility is becoming a Reality

Europe’s first transnational electric mobility project - VIBRATE – is set to connect Vienna even more closely with Bratislava in future. Today saw the project partners EVN, Wien Energie, VERBUND and Západoslovenská energetika symbolically handing over the keys to zero-emission and energy-efficient mobility to 14 users from Bratislava, Vienna and Lower Austria.

Crossing Over Borders
The target of the VIBRATE project is the demonstration of a functional complete electric mobility system. Since electric vehicles are three to four times more energy-efficient on the roads than vehicles with combustion engines, they would make a significant contribution to the stabilisation of the energy consumption. Furthermore, through the application of exclusively renewable energies in the form of electricity generated from hydropower and wind power, there will be less dependence upon fossil energy and a reduction of CO2 emissions –especially in the transport sector. The declared goal of the project partners is to make it possible for the advantages of a zero-emission and more energy-efficient mobility to be experienced first-hand and to create awareness among the general public. The intended effect is that more car drivers will switch to environmentally friendly mobility.

For the purposes of the project, those selected were people who use electric vehicles in the urban area of Vienna, Lower Austria and Bratislava in their day-to-day business. On 1.1.2012 they will begin the demonstration operation, together with the project partners. Their experiences will be collected over a two-year period and presented to the general public during the course of the project.

To this end, charging stations will be set up on select public and semi-public sites (e.g. customer car parks at shopping centres) for fast and normal charging. The emphasis lies in the demonstration of the user-friendliness of electric vehicles in the daily traffic. Naturally, this also includes the transnational availability of all services, irrespective of the country in which the customers are electrically mobile.

The first electrically mobile "border crossers" of the Vienna - Bratislava electric mobility region have today taken charge of the keys for their vehicles.

The users are: Schönbrunn Zoo, Wien Work Integrative Betriebe und AusbildungsgmbH, Vienna University of Technology, Hilfswerk Vienna, Samariterbund, The Federal Environment Agency, EVN Bruck a.d.L./Gemeinde Prellenkirchen, the municipality of Maria Enzersdorf, ecoplus, the municipality of Bratislava, Bratislava self-governing region, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bratislava-Petrzalka city district.

Role Model Function for Austria and Slovakia
The Twin City electric mobility model region comprises the cities of Bratislava and Vienna, as well as the region between the two cities and, therewith, part of Lower Austria as well. With some 3 million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Vienna-Bratislava harbours a high potential for electric mobility.

It concerns the first joint project between Austrian and Slovakian energy companies. In addition to the EU funding agency, also supporting the project are the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth and all responsible regional governments - such as the municipal authorities of the cities of Vienna and Bratislava -, as well as the provincial governments of Bratislava and Lower Austria.

Strong Partners
Leading energy companies and the most important driving forces of electric mobility in Austria, such as EVN, VERBUND and Wien Energie, are working together in the VIBRATE project. At the same time they are also members of "Austrian Mobile Power", the platform for electric mobility in Austria. These guarantee synergies and exchange of experience between the Twin City model region and the presently ongoing electric mobility projects of Austrian Mobile Power, such as “emporA” and Austrian model regions, funded by the Austrian Climate & Energy Fund.

Západoslovenská energetika is Slovakia’s leading energy company. The partner "Energy Centre Bratislava" is a non-profit organisation in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources and supports the project management on the Slovakian side.

Strategic partners are the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth, the municipal authorities of Vienna and Bratislava, as well as the federal governments of Bratislava and Lower Austria. The Austrian Institute of Technology is the strategic partner for the economic supervision.