Challenge description

The electric car brings undeniable advantages compared to conventional cars: almost no pollution or CO2 emission when used, less noise at low speeds. There are environmental problems with production in other countries, but the overall ecological balance is largely positive, particularly in the case of Switzerland, because of the predominantly renewable source electricity consumed in that country. Indeed, the source of production of electricity consumed is a key factor at the environmental level. That being said, all the other problems related to the quantity of cars in circulation will not be solved by this substitution of engine in cars (territorial grip, traffic jams, cost of diplacement, road accidents, depletion of natural resources, pollution in producing countries, etc.).

Challenge vision

Based on the observation that replacing a petrol / diesel engine with an electric motor will not be enough to meet the energy and climate challenges, the challenge is to think of collaborative and shared mobility solutions dedicated to electric mobility.

Beyond the bicycle and conventional public transport (not the subject here), the modes of movement and use of vehicles must be redesigned and evolve towards including car sharing and large-scale carpooling.

The scope of solutions should concern the inhabitants of the Canton de Vaud, taking into account the specificities of urban areas and peripheral regions. On the other hand, even if electric 2-wheelers are not necessarily excluded from the reflection, the emphasis should be on 4-wheeled vehicles, because it is the current fleet of cars that must be replaced, with a search for seating optimization. This therefore concerns passenger cars, ranging from a cart to a minibus.

The proposed solutions can be operated by any type of actors; this may be the responsability of either a public transport operator or a municipal administration, or private people wishing to share their private car with neighbours. We can also imagine intermediate models of the cooperative type of neighborhood association that offer a mobility service, more or less locally, or other ideas...

Instructions to participants:

• Participants will consider the advantages and disadvantages of electric mobility versus traditional individual mobility, as well as synergies with shared modes of use.
• The solutions proposed by the participants will have to take into consideration and use existing and mature technologies or close to being. For exemple, a driverless shuttle is at the crossroads of what can be envisaged, as pilot projects have in part proved their worth.
• Proposed solutions must be linked to service offerings allowing pooling and the emergence of solutions.