Espoo’s Parking Control switched to all-electric cars

30.6.2022 7.04Updated: 30.6.2022 7.42
The new electric cars in the Virastopiha car park.

The City of Espoo’s Parking Control has acquired five new electric cars to replace the diesel and petrol cars that the unit has been using. Climate action is being aided by both the City of Espoo’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 and the act on environmental and energy efficiency requirements in vehicle and transport services procurement, which entered into force in August 2021.

The development of both the City of Espoo and the Public Works Department is guided by the climate goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, as set out in Espoo’s city strategy, the Espoo Story. The department has 222 different vehicles or mobile machines in use. According to Harri Tanska, Head of the Public Works Department, the aim is to minimise their emissions step by step.

“As the first step, we started using renewable diesel in all of our machines that could make use of it. Of the nearly half a million litres of diesel we used last year, 65% was renewable. The electrification of our vehicles is the next step, which we have started with our shared cars, three of which are all-electric. The all-electric cars that have now been adopted by Parking Control are continuing this trend,” Tanska says.

Motivation from obligations and goals

Legal obligations and the City’s own ambitious climate goals provide motivation.

“At the Public Works Department, we have decided that we will only purchase all-electric cars from now on and at least some of our vans must also be all-electric. For heavier vehicles, we are still waiting for further developments and increased supply, but we are ready for trials,” Tanska says.

Parking Control at the forefront of climate action

Parking Control is the first unit to have its vehicles completely replaced by all-electric cars. The monthly lease payments for the cars is in the same range as for the vehicles previously used by traffic wardens. The most significant difference is in operating costs, with the fuel costs of an electric car being around a quarter of those of the diesel and petrol cars that were previously used.

“Traffic wardens drive around 70–100 kilometres per pair of wardens per shift. Driving these kilometres with electric power results in a significant reduction in emissions,” says Parking Control Manager Pekka Kuusinen.

The new cars have also been well received by traffic wardens.

“The traffic wardens played an essential role in the selection of the cars. Work ergonomics and suitability for the job were important factors in the choice of the vehicles. The change was greatly awaited, as the delivery times delayed the procurement by six months,” says Kuusinen.

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