Basque town tackles climate change with electric car scheme

Scandinavian electric vehicle manufacturer Think, in conjunction with its distribution partner in Spain, Going Green, has launched a car-share project in the Basque town of Ataun that is a totally carbon free thanks to a program run by Basque car-hire company Sarecar.

The principal aim of company Sarecar''s project is to show the economic and environmental benefits of hiring electric cars for short-haul journeys. It is a service that enables many to avoid investing in a private vehicle.

Measuring 12 kilometres from end to end, Ataun is officially the longest town in the province of Gipuzkoa, meaning residents inevitably take their cars for even the most local of journeys.

There are currently five cars available for hire in the pioneering project. Once you become a member of the service, the vehicles can be booked on-line or on the spot using an electronic membership card. The charge for hiring the cars is just two euros per hour, though the cost gets progressively more expensive as a way of encouraging car-share and discouraging long-term use.

Many areas of the Basque Country lack an alternative to the car as a means of travelling, even within a small area. The mayor of Gipuzkoa, Markel Olano, believes that, over time, the EV cars will act as a part of the public transport system.

Speaking to automotive news website auto-evolution.com, the CEO of vehicle manufacturers Think, Richard Canny, said, "Spain is a growing market for electric vehicles… with increasing sales in the key cities of Madrid and Barcelona and now, thanks to this excellent, totally carbon free car-share project from Sarecar, we are making in-roads into the Basque Country as well."

The project has gained the backing of various local groups and organizations including Iberdrola, Kutxa, the Provincial Council of Guipuzkoa and the town council of Ataun.

As many as 15 Think City EV cars will eventually be available for hire in Ataun and thanks to energy firm Iberdrola - one of the partners behind the project - several charging stations will also be installed around the town. Thanks to technical innovations made by the firm, all the charging stations will be powered using 100% renewable energy.

600,000 Euros have been invested in the project though local politicians and investors believe it will be profitable in the long-term and become a benchmark for further innovation in the field of electric powered transport.