The new iconic Volkswagen ID. BUZZ electric minivan in the urban transport of Astypalaia
In a small but very meaningful ceremony, three new Volkswagen ID. BUZZ electric minivans were delivered last week to the Development Organization of the South Aegean Region "K2", which is the public body of the "ASTYBUS" service, and the local community of Astypalaia. This action took place within the framework of the program "Astypalaia - Smart and sustainable island", which is developing at a fast pace with the coordination and support of Kosmocar, the assistance of the Volkswagen Group and the support of the Municipality of Astypalaia.
The three iconic new electric vehicles from Volkswagen, available for use by the public for the first time in Greece, are part of the "ASTYBUS" shuttle service which are part of the innovative ecosystem of smart and ecological mobility on the island of Astypalaia, "astyMOVE". This on-demand urban transport service, unique for Greek standards, will be available throughout the year, enabling residents and visitors of the island to move comfortably and easily to all the popular destinations of Astypalaia.
The pioneering program "Astypalaia - Smart and sustainable island", which is now in its second year of implementation, aims to improve the lives of the residents through the transformation of Astypalaia into a model of green mobility and cyclical economy, both in terms of movements as well as in the energy production sector.
As part of the pillar of smart mobility, this summer, with the coordination of Kosmocar, the operation of the vehicle sharing service "astyGO" officially started, which together with the shuttle service "ASTYBUS" complete the innovative ecosystem of smart and ecological movement on the island of Astypalaia . Thus, all transportation needs on the island can be carried out in an easy and simple way through the innovative "astyMOVE" application, integrating in an innovative way all the services on the smartphone of visitors and permanent residents of Astypalaia.
The number of electric vehicles in Astypalaia is constantly increasing both from private individuals and from the local institutions of the state that have adopted electric mobility such as the Police Authorities of the island, the Airport Services, the Municipality of Astypalaia, as well as the health services with the first electric ambulance in Greece, an e-Crafter, donated by the Volkswagen Group. Also the first electric taxi transports customers around the island and recently, the first private customers took delivery of the Volkswagen e-up electric cars! ID.3 and ID.4 as well as the Seat Mo 125 eScooters.
In total, already this summer more than 50 electric vehicles are circulating in Astypalaia, with charging needs covered both by the public charging network (20 charging points) but also by private chargers of hospitality and vehicle rental businesses, and of course private individuals as well are able to get subsidized AC chargers through the e-Astypalea program.
The program "Astypalaia - Smart and Sustainable Island", jointly implemented by the Hellenic Republic and the Volkswagen Group, with the practical support of the Municipality of Astypalaia, intends to offer a deeper understanding of the transformation of an entire system. Within five years, Astypalaia is set to become an island with a high degree of sustainable mobility and energy – with pure electric vehicles, smart mobility services and a green hybrid power generation system.