Mobility is changing before our eyes. All around us we see more and more charging stations, more cars available for car sharing, more electric cars. When they drive past us we hear their different noise, a noise that smacks of the future. In Europe there are cities where this change is even more evident. Cities where widespread electric mobility is already a reality.
The Clean Cities Campaign network , consisting of several European environmental organizations, has compiled a ranking of the cities where zero-emission mobility is most developed. Here are the top 5 E-cities:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark-The beacon of European e-mobility.
Beautiful and sustainable. Among European capitals, it has the most charging stations and car-sharing cars per capita. Zero-emission buses and electric scooter sharing are also widespread.
A mix of features that place it at the top of the ranking.
The push for sustainable mobility extends throughout Denmark, where the electric car market continues to grow: In 2023 sales of electric cars reached 36 percent of the total
2. Oslo, Norway – The Nordic model
Let’s move further north to the Norwegian capital, where the transition to electric vehicles has been a tremendous success. More than 80% of new cars sold in Norway are electric, thanks to government incentives, tax breaks and an extensive charging network. This city demonstrates that a combination of technologies and innovative choices can lead to significant change in mobility patterns.
3. Paris, France – The Romantic Sustainable
The Ville Lumière is famous for its romantic atmosphere, but also for being one of the most active cities in promoting electric mobility. Paris has introduced ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the use of electric vehicles and implementing low-emission zones. Moreover, with a growing network of charging stations, the city is determined to make the electric transition even more practical and accessible.
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands – Not just bicycles
Already famous for its extensive use of bicycles for urban mobility and beyond, Amsterdam has gained a reputation as a city at the forefront of sustainable mobility thanks to innovative policies and a well-developed charging infrastructure. With an extensive network of public charging stations and tax breaks for electric vehicles, it has become an example for many other European cities to follow. Less widespread sharing of scooters, perhaps because the bicycle remains the preferred two-wheeled vehicle for the Dutch?
5. Hamburg, Germany – The engine of green innovation
On its institutional website, the city of Hamburg calls itself “The City of Mobility.” How can you blame it? Indeed, the ongoing projects for zero-emission mobility are many.
From 2025, the city’s cabs will be only electric or hydrogen-powered, and already the number of zero-emission cabs is growing.
The availability of charging stations, electric car and scooter sharing services is respectable, although the amount of zero-emission buses is not at the level of the other 4 capitals in the ranking.
But there is more: Hamburg has already experimented with a self-driving public transport system (HEAT), now being perfected.
What about Italy? Good news: Milan in 7th place
We are not in the top 5, but we stand out. Milan is the first Italian city in the ranking, in 7th place, after Helsinki.
It stands out positively for the high availability of sharing services and a good amount of zero-emission buses. Compared to the cities that precede it, for now the spread of charging stations is less widespread, but this figure is bound to change for the better.
In short, Scandinavia is leading the change toward zero-emission mobility, but Italy is certainly not standing still. What is certain is that the change has already arrived and is in front of everyone’s eyes.
It will be increasingly easy to move around electrically and find a charging station within walking distance. We at Free To X continue to do our part, with our ever-expanding charging network from northern to southern Italy.
