Promoting public and private clean vehicles

Summary

The measure aimed to raise public awareness of the clean vehicles and alternative fuels already commercially available in Gothenburg.

Implementing sustainable mobility

One of the city’s mobility-related goals for 2008 was for 90 percent of the municipal fleet to comprise clean vehicles, and 5 percent of all new cars sold in Gothenburg to be clean vehicles. In order to reach this goal, which would mean around 1,500 new private clean vehicles on the roads and 250 clean vehicles in the municipal fleet, new and more proactive information strategies needed to be developed.

Existing clean vehicles and alternative fuels were not being actively marketed by local vendors prior to measure implementation, or sales were hampered by market barriers such as lack of awareness among car drivers about the existence of filling stations selling alternative fuels and their economic benefits.

Progress

Implemented in collaboration with car dealers and fuel suppliers, activities focused mainly on the provision of information to private individuals and company car users, allowing clean vehicles to be marketed as a realistic alternative to conventional vehicles. Activities took the form of:

• direct mailings, telephone marketing, newsletters;
• seminars, personal visits;
• media coverage;
• the creation of a new national clean vehicle website in collaboration with Stockholm and Malmo;
• activities specially targeted towards drivers of heavy vehicles; and
• the exploitation of already existing incentives such as free parking offered to drivers of clean vehicles.

Outcomes

Seminars were organised for car dealers, car owners, leasing companies and environmental consultants. Telephone, e-mail and website consultation were offered to companies, local authorities and members of the public. This resulted in greater interest in clean vehicles, an increase in the number of clean cars on the streets, and an 82 percent increase in the number of clean vehicles in the municipal fleet.