The electrification of vehicles gives cities the opportunity to reduce climate emissions caused by traffic. Cities play a significant role in removing barriers to the use of electric vehicles. One of the biggest obstacles to the widespread use of electric mobility is the insufficient public charging infrastructure, the development of which begins in Turku with the electric charging master plan. The general plan is a joint vision of the region's operators on what kind of electric charging network is desired in Turku and by what means.
- The AFIR regulation planned by the EU requires large investments in the construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and in Turku this means multiplying the current number of charging stations, says Jussi Saari, an expert from the Turku electric charging working group. The rapid change in mobility causes challenges, that the electric charging master plan aims to meet. The goal is a functioning and extensive charging network that makes electric mobility effortless for residents and businesses in the area.
You can fill in the survey until the end of April. The survey is anonymous, and it takes about 10 minutes to answer. You can answer the survey in Finnish, Swedish or English. Five movie tickets for two will be drawn among those who gave their contact information. The questions for housing companies and other housing services have been prepared together with Varsinais-Suomen Kiinteistöliitto.
Responses to the survey are expected from the following groups:
- Professional transport (e.g. operators, goods transport-, and vehicle rental companies)
- Turku resident or people frequently travelling in the area
- Housing companies or other housing services
- Employers or owners of commercial real estate (including city owned companies)
- Businesses in the Turku region (e.g. merchants, companies that make client visits)
- Many people have an opinion about electric mobility, and with the help of a survey we aim to make these voices heard. When the needs of the key stakeholders are clear, it will be easier for the city to plan a public charging network that meets the needs and to look for Turku specific solutions together with charging operators, says project coordinator Juha Pulmuranta.
In the survey, you can also suggest new charging point locations for different sized vehicles. Residents, representatives of professional transport and companies are mainly asked about the need for public charging infrastructure and what factors affect the purchase of electric vehicles. In the case of housing companies and employers, the readiness to open their own charging points, even partially, for public use, will be investigated, in which case the need for charging points on the side of the street would be less prominent. Turku is in the process of opening charging points in its own properties for public use as well, if possible.
Operators in the Turku region developing the EU's common charging infrastructure
The general plan for electric charging in Turku is made as part of the international USER-CHI project, where the purpose is to promote electric mobility through many different means. The project's partners in Turku are Turku Energia, VASO and TVT Asunnot, all of which will start their own charging experiment during 2023.
The movable bicycle garage in the vicinity of the Logomo bridge ordered by the city will have plenty of space for ordinary bicycles as well as electric cargo bicycles. VASO is building a new property on Pääskyvuorentie, where charging points for electric cars will be built. TVT Asunnot implements a charging system for light e-vehicles for the residents of the Mäntymäke residential complex. Turku Energia is building medium-speed charging points for its office in Kupitta, Pääskyvuorentie and the port of Turku, as well as a two-way charging point for electric cars in the yard of their offices. All of the project's charging experiments utilize solar energy and battery storage.
The USER-CHI project gives cities and private operators tools and practical examples of smart charging services and their implementation. On a European level, the project gives the opportunity to develop the local charging infrastructure to be compatible with the rest of the EU region. The ultimate purpose of the project is to create a basis for functional and customer-friendly electric mobility in an urban environment. International partners in the project include Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest and Rome.