Amsterdam’s ambitious plan to not have a single internal combustion engine vehicle within the city by 2040 is one step closer to reality now that Dutch energy utility Essent, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RWE AG, has been asked to install at least 125 charging stations by mid-2011 and possibly up to 750 charging points sometime in the future.
Amsterdam City Council has ambitious environmental targets and says that at least 10,000 electric vehicles will be in use throughout the city by 2015. Amsterdam already has approximately 100 public charging points, making it one of Europe’s most plug-in vehicle-ready cities. Peter Terium, chief executive officer of Essent, had this to say of Amsterdam’s request for chargers:
This contract is very important for Essent and RWE. It’s the first time in the Netherlands that electric mobility will cover an entire city and become part of the scenery. Electric mobility is being promoted particularly swiftly in the Netherlands.
It’s difficult to say whether of not plug-in vehicles will catch on in a town that has more than 550,000 bicycles.
[Source: RWE Effizienz GmbH]
DORTMUND, Germany, April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ —
– Amsterdam City Council Awards Major Contract to set up City-wide Charging Facilities
– Initial Delivery of 125 Charging Stations
The Dutch energy utility Essent, a wholly owned subsidiary of RWE AG, was asked by Amsterdam City Council to deliver and install at least 125 charging stations. The delivery may be extended for up to 750 charging points. The first charging points are due to be installed quite soon, in the first half of this year.
Amsterdam City Council has ambitious environmental targets and is planning for 10,000 electric vehicles by 2015. The city already has about 100 publicly accessible charging points, which makes Amsterdam one of Europe’s trendsetters in the introduction of electric mobility.
“This contract is very important for Essent and RWE. It’s the first time in the Netherlands that electric mobility will cover an entire city and become part of the scenery,” says Peter Terium, CEO of Essent. “The charging stations we are setting up in Amsterdam have been developed by RWE and have so far been installed in numerous European countries, including Germany, Poland, Hungary and Austria.
“After Berlin, we see Amsterdam as our second European metropolitan project where we are seeking to implement a mobility scheme for an entire city,” says Ingo Alpheus, CEO of RWE Effizienz GmbH. “Electric mobility is being promoted particularly swiftly in the Netherlands. So we can learn from our shared experiences and then apply these to other cities.”
RWE provides intelligent European-wide system solutions for electric vehicle charging facilities. RWE is already operating over 800 charging points in 14 European countries. Its customers in each country include, above all, local councils and authorities, energy utilities and fleet operators.
About RWE Effizienz GmbH
RWE Effizienz GmbH is a service provider for energy efficiency infrastructures. It helps customers save costs and care for the environment. From e-mobility to home automation with RWE SmartHome – RWE Effizienz creates energy efficiency from A to Z and sets standards with its innovative approach and new products. It increases public awareness for energy efficiency through information and explanations. A brief summary of the key facts can be found at http://www.rwe-effizienz.com, http://www.rwe-mobility.com, http://www.rwe.de/smarthome and http://www.energiewelt.de, the information and advice portal on questions of energy efficiency.
