In the southern Aegean, it feels like time passes by more slowly. This is also true on the island of Astypalaia, which is known as the “butterfly of the Aegean” because of its shape. Hilly with pebble beaches. The predominantly waist-height vegetation turns green in spring and dries out to a shade of brown in summer. Astypalaia is off the beaten track, even compared to other islands: The ferry crossing from Piraeus takes around 10 hours. It is on this island that Volkswagen and the Greek state have started a pilot project: Transformation into a smart, sustainable electric island. Electric cars like the ID.3 and ID.4, electric scooters from the Seat Mó brand, electric bicycles and a zero-emission local transport system all aim to decarbonise island traffic.
Greek police are testing their new ID.4
Pilot project
carbon-neutral isle
Volkswagen and the Greek state are transforming the Aegean island of Astypalaia into a sustainable electric island. Here’s how Astypalaia’s civil servants are finding the first few days with their new ID.4 official cars.
Synchronous motors with 109 kW (148 PS) effortlessly power the ID.4 through the mountainous passages. The same engine version will be available to the citizens of Astypalaia as part of the Greek government’s subsidy programme. The Greek state will help the residents of Astypalaia with attractive bonuses for purchasing electric cars.
What makes Astypalaia the perfect choice for the pilot project, besides the manageable population, is the low level of complexity and the unity of the transport system. Hardly any external cars come to the island from outside. And traffic keeps mainly to the one, well-developed road. It links the main village with the small village of Livadi, for example, which is located in a green valley below the reservoir. The main road leads directly past a beach shaded by trees, with a side road providing access to green gardens further up the hill.
To the northeast, the road meanders in countless turns across the whole island. Just after the campsite, a cul-de-sac leads to the new ferry terminal. It was set up on the side of the island opposite the main village because the old harbour at Chora is often inaccessible in strong winds. A few kilometres further on, right between the “butterfly wings” of Astypalaia, is the airport, around 12 kilometres away from Chora. Then the road continues on to the very sparsely populated north-eastern part of the island.
The longest distance: 35 kilometres and back
Regional conditions like these were investigated in detail beforehand by Greek main importer for Volkswagen, Kosmocar. The Kosmocar product experts were won over after test drives: On Astypalaia, the range of the ID.4 Pure is typically around 484 kilometres. There are two main reasons for the difference from the average WLTP standard of 345 kilometres: Each of the numerous inclines is followed by a slope, where electric cars regain power through recuperation. Added to this is the low average speed: Even on the main road, cars drive at a maximum speed of 55 to 60 km/h.
It is expected that the police cars and harbour police cars will need to be recharged about once a week, said a Kosmocar representative. The aviation authorities will probably recharge their ID.4 even less frequently. With an island area of 96 km², the longest possible distance that the emergency vehicles will travel at a time is only around 35 kilometres. That’s how far it is from the main village of Chora, with a detour to the ferry terminal and past the airport, to the small village of Vathis at the other end of the island.
The developed road comes to an end shortly before Vathis and winds down the hillside as a dirt road, past farms and a seawater basin practically enclosed by land, towards the most remote inhabited hamlets on Astypalaia. Driving slowly stirs up reddish brown dust. Huge rocks line the side of the road, small stones pelt against the underbody.
There are lots of tracks like this off the main road on Astypalaia. And while some of these roads, which often fall away sharply towards the beach, are a driving challenge for tourists, they are easily passable for electric cars such as the ID. 4. In addition to increased ground clearance, the electric crossover also has robust underbody protection. With its sandwich construction, the battery of the cars in the MEB family is also well protected.
Conversion to police car
The ID.4 that Volkswagen presented to the authorities of Astypalaia are the first police cars in Greece to be powered by pure battery electric. All specifications comply with the requirements of the Greek authorities. The cars were converted by specialist Systemtec in the north of Athens. The company specialises in this kind of car conversion on behalf of the Greek authorities.
Training courses and extensive test drives
Electric mobility is new to the civil servants of Astypalaia in most cases. This is why they are receiving extensive training and are learning everything they need to know about the technology and handling of an electric car.
Well-equipped for service, the local government employees seem impressed: The driving experience is excellent, said one civil servant. The ID.4 has powerful acceleration, is comfortable to drive and is easy to handle. A colleague added: The ID.4 has a lot of room for the equipment that civil servants need to take with them for their daily work.
As well as the advantages for everyday life, electric drive also results in cost savings, explained a member of the administrative staff: Since petrol and diesel need to be transported to the island by ferry, fuel is expensive on Astypalaia. On average, petrol costs 25 percent more here than in mainland Greece. It will cost much less for the island authorities to drive using electricity.
The civil servants still need to get used to the dimensions of their ID.4, which are bigger than their previous cars. Particularly when manoeuvring and parking in narrow streets. They are quick to emphasise that it isn’t a major problem, and add: In addition to the “high-tech” impression, they really like the sense of quality in the cars. “Everything feels high-quality, constructed sturdily and robustly,” said an employee.
In addition to the ID.4, the authorities now also have three more electric vehicles: With the electric scooters from the Seat sub-brand Seat MÓ, the civil servants can even move through the narrowest of alleyways electrically. An e-Crafter followed later as patient transport for the local health centre. The electrification of the municipal fleet of vehicles on Astypalaia is in full swing.
Project Astypalea
In collaboration with the Greek government, the Volkswagen Group has launched an ambitious project on Astypalea. As much of the traffic on the Aegean island as possible will be converted to e-mobility. That includes the public transport system, cars belonging to the authorities and enterprises as well as private vehicles belonging to inhabitants. At the same time, a nationwide charging network of private and public charging stations is forming. The new car sharing and ride sharing services which will modernise public transport on the island are a highlight. A large proportion of the power needed by households, enterprises and traffic will be supplied by wind and solar systems which will be installed on the island by the Greek government. The electric fleet will be completely powered by green energy.