Full Energy for Electric Cars in 20 Minutes

Today saw the festive opening of the first rapid charging station in a public space by VIBRATe project partners EVN, Wien Energie, VERBUND and Západoslovenská on Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel, a central traffic intersection in Vienna. This enables users of electric vehicles to charge the battery in around 20 minutes. The cross-border project VIBRATE has therewith achieved a further important milestone on the path to an emission-free and energy efficient mobility in the region of Bratislava, Vienna and Lower Austria.

This first rapid charging station on Vienna’s roads represents the realisation of part of the network of charging stations in the Twin City Region of Vienna – Bratislava. This therewith guarantees that drivers of electric vehicles remain mobile on their journeys in the region. In addition to the VIBRATe station, further rapid charging stations are already available for electric mobility commuters: in the Beethoven garage (operator: Wien Energie) and in the car park of the Billa branch in Triesterstrasse (operator: VERBUND) in Vienna.

The goal of the VIBRATe project is the demonstration of a functioning integrated electric mobility system. Within the framework of the project, further charging stations for rapid and normal charging will be setup in the coming months at selected public and semi-public sites (for example in customer car parks in shopping centres). The focal point is the demonstration of the user-friendliness of electric vehicles in daily transport. Included in this is the cross-border availability of all services.

Electric vehicles are three to four-times more energy efficient underway than vehicles with combustion engines. It is for this reason that they will make an important contribution to the stabilisation of energy consumption. Furthermore, the dependence upon fossil energies and CO2 emissions – particularly in the transport sector – will be reduced through the application of exclusively renewable energies in the form of electricity from hydropower and wind power. The declared goal of the project partners is to make the benefits of an emission-free and more energy efficient mobility tangible and to generate public awareness of this. It is intended that this will result in more car drivers switching to an environmentally friendly mobility.

Since the start of 2012, fourteen organisations within the EU-funded projects have been underway with electric cars in the region of Vienna, Lower Austria and Bratislava. The vehicles are being used as part of the organisations’ everyday business and their experiences are being collected within the project over a two-year period, before being presented to the public.

The electric mobility "cross-border commuters" of the Vienna – Bratislava Wien electric mobility region are:
Samaritan Federation Vienna, the Federal Environment Agency, Vienna Hilfswerk, the municipalities of Bruck/Leitha, PDTS GmbH, the market township of Maria Enzersdorf, the municipality of Prellenkirchen (alternating with EVN Bruck/Leitha), Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna University of Technology, Wien Work, Bratislava municipal authority, the self-governing region of Bratislava, the district of Bratislava-Petrzalka, the Ministry of Economics of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Agriculture and Provincial Development of the Slovak Republic.

A pioneering role for Austria and Slovakia

The Twin City electric mobility model region comprises the towns of Bratislava and Vienna, as well as the region between the towns and therewith also part of Lower Austria. With some 3 million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Vienna–Bratislava holds a high potential for electric mobility.

It represents the first joint project between Austrian and Slovakian energy companies. In addition to the EU, the project is also supported by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth (BMWFJ) and all responsible regional governing bodies - such as the administrations of the towns of Vienna and Bratislava, as well as the provincial governments of Bratislava and Lower Austria.

Strong partners

Leading energy companies and leading 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. This ensures synergies and exchange of experience between the Twin City model region and the currently ongoing electric mobility projects of Austrian Mobile Power, such as "EMPORA" and Austrian model regions, promoted by Austrian Climate & Energy Funds.

Západoslovenská energetika is the leading energy company in Slovakia. The partner "Energy Centre Bratislava" is a non-profit organisation in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, and provides project management support.

Strategic partners are the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth (BMWFJ), the administrations of the cities of Vienna and Bratislava, as well as the provincial governments of Bratislava and Lower Austria.