Trikala launches electric vehicles for locals and visitors to the city

After introducing driverless buses, the municipality of Trikala is once again taking the lead of innovation by providing five electric vehicles that will be available for use by both local residents and visitors to the city.

The vehicles were manufactured as part of the European Union's Elviten Project, which demonstrates the usefulness of light electrified vehicles for urban transportation and sustainable cities.

This is implemented by e-Trikala SA with the National Technical University of Athens' University Research Institute for Communications Systems and Computers. Elviten, which was launched in April 2018, is part of the broader "Horizon 2020" programme and is taking place in six European cities: Trikala, Berlin, Rome, Bari, Genoa and Malaga.

In statements, e-trikala SA CEO Yiannis Kotoulas noted: "The time has come for local residents and visitors to use electric vehicles. Trikala Municipality staff have been using them for 15 days now. This concerns five vehicles, three of which will be at the central square and three at the Matsopoulos' park. Any resident or visitor can take them and use them, simply by showing their ID and a driving license for a motorbike. They are insured, have license plates, are fully legal to use and can go anywhere, having an autonomous range of about 80 kilometres and a top speed of about 35 km/hour. They will be here for a year."

Trikala Mayor Dimitris Papastergiou said the initiative was part of an effort to promote the use of electric vehicles in transportation: "The new electric vehicles can be a solution for our cities and especially for flat cities, such as Trikala," he said.

*Source: AMNA