Various vehicles have been tested from electric bikes to scooters and electric mopeds. All the vehicles reach a maximum speed of 25 km per hour and are ridden following the regulations for cycling.
The experiment is part of the EU funded CIVITAS ECCENTRIC-project that develops smart travelling in Turku and six other cities in Europe. The aim of the electric vehicles is to decrease the need to use private cars and to raise interest towards travelling in different sustainable ways.
In the background is the aim of clean transportation, as decreasing traffic emissions is a remarkable part of Turku’s aim of being a carbon neutral city by 2029.
Courageously new
Plenty of testers registered for the experiment. Each tester could use one vehicle freely for two weeks to travel at work and leisure.
"These vehicles are much cooler live than in pictures. They are quiet, suitable for various purposes and they are easy to use", says environmental inspector Petri Uggeldahl.
"Of course, it only takes a bit of courage to go and try something new and ride these among the traffic", Uggeldahl continues.
In the beginning of each test period the participants were offered training on the use and handling of the vehicles and about sustainable travelling in general. After the test the worker fills in a questionnaire and passes the vehicle on to their unit’s next tester.
The suppliers of the electric vehicles are the Finnish companies Skand Oy, E-Wheels Group Oy and Järvi Leasing.