Barcelona Becomes World Electric Vehicle Capital This November

Barcelona is on the international sustainable mobility map and will become the world electric vehicle capital this November as the city chosen by the organisers of the EVS – Electric Vehicle Symposium – to hold its 27th edition from 18 to 20 November. This is the sector’s world benchmark forum. It is held in a different city each year and brings together leading experts from around the world.

Prior to this major meeting, Barcelona will welcome, on 16 and 17 November, the 3rd edition of EXPOelectric Formula-e, the largest electric vehicle trials in Southern Europe aimed at both the professional sector and the public. Its most visible activity is the EV Large Scale Demonstration, a demonstration that is ground-breaking in Europe of what a 100% electric city would be like, with noise, air quality and heat emission comparisons.

In recent years the Catalan capital has turned itself into a global benchmark for sustainable mobility, driven by sound initiatives to improve sustainability and its inhabitants’ quality of life. That is what the International Energy Agency’s latest report (EV City Casebook 2012) says, which has Barcelona in seventh place in the world ranking of cities that promote the development of electric mobility solutions.

This city has the cleanest bus fleet in Europe and over 300 electric vehicles in the public fleets on its municipal routes. It also has one of the largest numbers of electric motorbikes in Europe thanks to rental and sharing initiatives and it has over 260 charging points.

Furthermore, car manufacturers such as Nissan have chosen Barcelona as a production base for their latest electric models. The Japanese manufacturer has centralised global production of its new 100% electric van, the e-NV200 here in this city. It will be the model for the city’s clean e-taxi and will also be used in New York.