In Rotterdam, all shared cars with a municipal parking permit are now electric. This is an additional step in reducing CO2 emissions and air pollution. Rotterdam is the first city in the Netherlands to reach this milestone.
Making all shared cars emission-free is one of the goals in the Rotterdam Climate Action Plan (KAR). It makes car sharing even more sustainable. The intention is that taxis will follow in 2028 and all buses in 2030. Shared scooters have been electric from the start.
Sufficient Charging Stations
The companies currently offering 100% electric shared cars in the paid parking area in Rotterdam are: MyWheels, Sixt, Greenwheels, Snappcar, and OnzeAuto. For new shared cars, the municipality only issues a parking permit if the vehicles are electric. In neighborhoods where paid parking has not yet been introduced, some shared cars running on fossil fuels are still offered.
There are sufficient charging stations available for the electric shared cars. Moreover, the number of charging stations will be doubled to 8,000 in the next five years. And in ten years, there should be 16,000 charging stations.
Fewer Cars
Car sharing contributes to a sustainable Rotterdam. People who share cars drive less and are more likely to choose walking, cycling, or public transport. ‘Users often take a shared car when they need to travel a bit further. And how great is it if it’s also an electric car,’ says alderman Lansink-Bastemeijer (Mobility).
In addition, shared cars are used more intensively than private cars, which stand still 95% of the time. This means fewer cars are needed. That saves space and resources. And now that all shared cars are electric, fuel consumption and emissions decrease even more.