Volkswagen Delivers E-Cars to Greek Island of Astypalea

The German automaker, Volkswagen has delivered eight electric vehicles to the Greek island of Astypalea on Wednesday, to put the island is on course to become a smart, sustainable island over the next five years.  

This move is a part of a mission ‘Greece 2.0’ of the Greek Government, this mission aims to transform the economy and society into green and sustainable by leading the green revolution and harnessing the latest digital technology. 

As an integral part of this transition to green energy from the sun:

These first electric vehicles (EV), including the first fully electric police car in Greece, were taken into service in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, and Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Fragogiannis. The first public and private charging points were also inaugurated. The event marked the launch of the transition to full electrification on Astypalea.

EVs from Volkswagen’s e-up!, the ID.3 and the ID.4 as well as the SEAT MÓ eScooter 125, will be available for the local customers of the island by the end of this June. Also, the Greek government is planning to give attractive subsidies to promote electric mobility. 

Speaking of their aim, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated, “Our plans are bold. Astypalaia will be a testbed for the green transition: energy-autonomous, and entirely powered by nature. This beautiful island is a central pillar in that transition, and I am enormously grateful to the local community for their continued support for the project.” 

“Our unique partnerships with Volkswagen will give us vital insights that will help us to create incentives for change on our journey to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future. Together we will harness the wind and the sun to power that brighter future,” the PM commented on the partnership. 

Additionally, new mobility services will be launched soon along with electric ride-sharing services. Interestingly, Volkswagen and the Greek government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect last November.

“Astypalea will be a future lab for decarbonization in Europe. We will be researching in real-time what motivates people to switch to e-mobility and which incentives are needed to transition to a sustainable lifestyle. The learnings will help to accelerate the transformation towards sustainable mobility and green energy in Greece,” says the CEO of Volkswagen Group, Herbert Diess. 

In a move towards the transition to green energy, the Greek government has also announced that a 3 MW Solar Park, covering 100 percent of the energy needed to charge EVs d more than 50 percent of the island’s overall energy demand will be ready by 2023.

In addition, a battery storage system will help to balance the grid and make full use of the solar park. And by 2026, new green energy systems will be added to support 80 percent of the total energy demand of the island. These would possibly cover solar and associated battery storage systems.