The transformation of Astypalea into a “smart and sustainable” island with the assistance of the Volkswagen Group and the support of Kosmocar is evolving rapidly with the first private individuals on the beautiful Island of the Aegean receiving their Electric Cars Volkswagen ID. Kosmocar delivered the ID.3 Pure electric cars, and ID.4 to their new owners in main town of Astypalea.As a result, the fleet of electric vehicles in Astypalea is growing, since the local authorities have been using electric cars since last year.
The project “Astypalea: smart and sustainable island” is a joint initiative of the Volkswagen Group and the Hellenic Republic that aims in the coming years to create an innovative mobility system in Astypalea with a green environmental footprint. To this end, the current transport system on the island will be replaced by the use of electric vehicles, alongside the production of renewable energy.
In the framework of the program “Astypalea: smart and sustainable island”, the residents of Astypalea enjoy a special subsidy and preferential prices to acquire the electric vehicle they want. In order to use as many electric vehicles as possible on the island as a means of transportation, the options to choose from are several.It can choose from a wide range of Volkswagen electric cars, such as the versatile e-up!, the pioneering ID.3 and the impressive SUV, ID.4. All pure electric and with Volkswagen’s most advanced technology. Finally, among the choices is the electric scooter SEAT MÓ 125.
Thanos Papagiannis, a constant supporter of the transition to electrification, replaced a Golf 3 with his new Volkswagen ID.3 and stated: “Electrification fits perfectly with Astypalea. The distances here are small, the power consumption is low and the charging network is now very well developed.I hope that Astypalea will inspire other regions to increase their efforts to protect the climate by adopting electrification solutions.
Volkswagen’s commitment to the sustainable development of Astypalea goes beyond the renewal of the vehicle fleet and the adoption of electrification. Recently, Kosmocar and the Municipality of Astypalea launched an initiative to recycle old and abandoned vehicles located on the island with the aim of reducing the environmental burden and at the same time further aesthetic upgrading of the island.
The broken motorcycles, the rusty cars and the immobilized trucks were simply points of pollution on the beautiful island of Astypalea. The recycling campaign aims to eliminate the relevant environmental impacts and at the same time to highlight even more the beauty of Astypalaia. The vehicles are initially collected by volunteers, then transported by boat to Athens and finally recycled by specialized partners.
During the summer, the Volkswagen Group with the support of Kosmocar will present the next milestone of the program “Astypalea: smart and sustainable island” that will concern innovative, exclusively electric mobility services in cooperation with local companies. The vehicle sharing services, ride-sharing and vehicle sharing, come to improve mobility on the island of Astypalea, actively contributing to the reduction of the total number of vehicles on the island.