Astypalea: This Electrified Greek Island Matches VW's Vision for Sustainable Mobility

Astypalea serves as an example of what the future of e-mobility and energy efficiency could look like by adopting smart and sustainable solutions. The island is home to about 1,300 inhabitants, most of which deal with agriculture, fishing, and tourism.

The collaboration between the island officials and Volkswagen has led to the introduction of two mobility services: ride-sharing service ASTYBUS and vehicle-sharing service astyGO, both making use of fully electric vehicles. Volkswagen supports Astypalea with vehicles from the Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Ducati, and Seat MO brands.

The German automaker announced that the measures to transform the mobility sector have been almost completely implemented. Besides the two mobility services, Volkswagen contributed with a public charging infrastructure, a special subsidy scheme for private customers and companies, and the electrification of authority vehicles, such as for the police or the airport. The island's number of EVs quickly rose from zero to 84.

ASTYBUS was designed to replace the traditional bus line, which provided limited local transport on the island. Unlike the bus line, ASTYBUS works all year round, and more people have access to the service. Depending on the period, up to five vehicles are used for this service. The people on the island can also use astyGO to rent Volkswagen EVs, Seat MO scooters, and Ducati e-bikes, all done via the astyMOVE smartphone app.

The Head of Business Development of the Volkswagen Group, Maik Stephan, said that many of the changes implemented through the Astypalea project would be implemented in other regions of Europe. Initially, people were skeptical about the initiatives, but the skepticism changed toward great approval, showing that a rapid transformation is possible if all parties involved, including the companies and politicians, collaborate efficiently.

A scientific study showed that 80% of the people on Astypales have a positive outlook regarding e-mobility and mobility service, a significant improvement since the first study was done in 2021. In the case of ASTYBUS, 97% of surveyors approve of the service, especially when it involves low prices. Just like in many other places across the globe, costs are a decisive factor in switching to electric cars on Astypalea.

Another significant part of the project is the renewal of the energy system. There are already small solar plants that supply EVs with green energy. However, the plan is to build a hybrid power system that will feature a solar park with a capacity of 3,5 megawatts and a battery storage system. It will be used to supply the island's entire e-mobility fleet, as well as 60% of its general energy needs. The operation is set to begin next year. By 2026, after the final stage of the energy system is completed, it should cover about 80% of the total energy demand.