Highlights from the USER-CHI workshop in Porto

How to unleash the potential of off-street electric charging infrastructure in Berlin? How to deploy and manage an efficient public charging network in the historical city of Florence? How to tackle the obstacles for long-distance electric coaches in Portugal? USER-CHI partners and city practitionners discussed these issues during a fruitful worshop in Porto, along Eurocities Mobility Forum. 

Co-learning for decarbonisation of urban transport

On 1 June 2023, USER-CHI project partners from Berlin, municipal housing company Gewobag and technology provider VMZ, the Municipality of Florence (Italy) as well as invited speaker from Flixbus Portugal presented their challenges to the participants to the electromobility brainstorming session.  A great opportunity to hear from local best practices on the topic and exchange knowledge and solutions.

The Municipality of Florence received ideas and tips for electrifying their park & ride infrastructure as a solution to the lack of space in the city centre and heard from the tender procedures of different cities as a way of steering the providers in the right direction. The city of Lyon shared their deployment strategy and the discussions focused on the importance of supporting private and off-street charging, as deploying a public charging network can only partly cover the needs of electric vehicle drivers in a city.  

The USER-CHI partners from Berlin brought to the table the issue of off-street charging infrastructure on the parking places now reserved for Gewobag’s tenants. The needs of diverse market segments were discussed, as well as the technical solutions to raise awareness of the off-street charging spots and ensure access to them. The city of Lyon shared their experience with off-street public charging in the areas of shopping and cultural centres. Furthermore, the participants pointed out the potential of the shared economy model for off-street charging and the possibility of cooperation with PT operators for Park& Ride schemes.  

And how about electrifying long-distance transport? Participants discussed with FlixBus Portugal how to ensure that charging needs are met and dedicated are available to welcome long-distance coaches in cities in the coming years.

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