Gothenburg leads the way towards fossil-free transports of the future

• The largest single delivery of electric buses in Sweden is underway. 
• The Danish company, GreenMobility, is launching 100 electric vehicles in Gothenburg that will be charged via Göteborg Energi’s public charging network and Parkering Göteborg will provide the parking spaces. 
• The first customer in Sweden has received his Polestar 2 from the company’s global headquarters in Gothenburg.
• Göteborg Energi, Parkeringsbolaget and Higab recently presented a joint, major initiative to expand the charging infrastructure during the autumn of 2020, which will create even more charging points for the public.

These four fresh news items all demonstrate how Gothenburg is leading the way towards sustainable transports.

It’s a journey that has already begun into a future where vehicles are electrified, fossil-free and almost completely silent. The aim is a city with an entirely fossil-free transport system no later than 2030.
 

Attracting international attention

Business Region Göteborg is responsible for coordinating the city’s various initiatives and investments.

“Gothenburg is a recognised leader in this area and the city’s various initiatives are structured, wide-reaching and coordinated, all of which is attracting international attention,” says Maria Strömberg, Head of Clusters & Innovation at Business Region Göteborg.

“Succeeding with this requires wide-ranging collaboration between the city, its surrounding municipalities, companies and residents in order to arrive at the best solutions for residents, visitors and the business community. Both passenger and freight transport need to function in this enormous technological transition. It also requires behavioural adaptations, where, for example, rather than using one mode of transport, we are open to a variety of options and combinations that result in more efficient transportation with lower emissions,” she says. 

A complete value chain for the automotive industry

Per Österström, Head of Transport and Automotive Industry, Cluster & Industry Development at Business Region Göteborg is working closely with Gothenburg’s various vehicle clusters and he knows the industry better than most.

“In Gothenburg, we have a complete value chain for the vehicle industry. There aren’t many places in the world where you can move from concept to finished product in the same way that we are doing here. We have a ripe climate for collaboration, a systems approach and a complete ecosystem for building vehicles, coping with the shift to electrification and digital technologies and connecting the entire transport system,” he says.  

Gothenburg will become a test bed and showroom

The role of Business Region Göteborg in this transition to a fossil-free transport system is to lead the process, coordinate and initiate new forms of collaboration between the various stakeholders involved, each one of whom is responsible for an enormous piece in the puzzle for achieving the ultimate goal.   

“For the companies involved in creating solutions, Gothenburg will also become a test bed, showroom and springboard for taking on a global market,” says Maria Strömberg.

“We want Gothenburg to have Sweden’s best offering for charging vehicles for everyone who lives, works and visits the city. We also want to facilitate a large-scale roll-out of electrified vehicle fleets and mobility solutions. And, we hope that others will follow our example by joining us in the effort to scale up,” says Per Österström. 

Read more

• GreenMobility: 'Sweden is far ahead in the green transition'
• Gothenburg's automotive industry
• ‘It’s challenging, but very exciting times for our automotive industry’
• Europe’s largest order for electric buses made in Gothenburg
• Doing business in Gothenburg