CITROËN’S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY HELPS TRANSFORM CHALKI INTO A SMART AND ZERO EMISSION ISLAND
Citroën is proud to invest in the Greek island of Chalki and take part in the pioneering project to transform the island into an area of sustainable, zero-emission mobility energy. Chalki has become a laboratory in Europe where green energy transition is being implemented with several partners which are all leaders in their fields of expertise such as Syngelidis Group, Citroën’s Greek importer, Vinci and Akuo Greece, to name a few. This is in line with Citroën’s belief that mobility should be available to everyone and showcases Citroën’s innovative and avant-garde approach.
«We are really glad to collaborate with the Island of Chalki on this exceptional project. This collaboration is completely in keeping with the spirit of Citroën, an innovative and daring brand, closely connected with people in their daily lives and their mobility. We are committed to making electrification available to everyone and we are very proud to contribute to the transformation of Chalki into an island which will be autonomous, smart and sustainable», states Vincent Cobée, CEO of Citroën.
Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Greek Government, Citroën/Syngelidis Group, Vinci and Akuo Greece, the lever has been activated to transform the island of Chalki into a « zero emission » economy. Citroën and Syngelidis Group are undertaking all measures to offer a range of electric vehicles which will only use renewable energy. The aim is to make this progress available to all residents and businesses on the island.
One of the main challenges present in the automotive world today is electrification, however Citroën is keen on leading the way forward. Citroën wants all the residents and public authorities to take full advantage of the electric vehicles which are being made accessible on the island.
To begin, Citroën is hence providing a fleet of 6 fully electric vehicles to the public authorities in Chalki, namely 2 Ami to the Police and Coast Guard respectively along with 2 ë-C4 and 1 ë-Spacetourer to the Municipality of Chalki and 1 ë-Jumpy will also be delivered to the Energy Community of Chalki. For 2 of those cars, there will be a free leasing for 48 months after which Citroen will buy back the cars and donate them to the Municipality of Chalki.
«This project will change the lives of a few for now but this is just the beginning. By helping Chalki to become a « green » economy with zero emissions, Citroën is paving the way for a better future and is showing that electrification is the way forward», adds Vincent Cobée.
There is also the desire to improve the quality of life of the residents of the island. Citroën and Syngelidis Group have set the wheels in motion with a number of initiatives. There is an important move towards electrifying the fleet present on the island and the objective is to replace all traditional petrol vehicles by electric ones. Through a comprehensive development plan for smart and climate-neutral mobility, Citroën will provide the opportunity to residents and businesses of the island, to acquire zero-emission electric vehicles at affordable prices, through a wide range of green and smart mobility options, from light quadricycle to passenger and commercial vehicles with free of charge use of all innovative technologies and connected applications which they incorporate. People in the island will gain a significant improvement in their daily life with less noise, a better air quality, a cleaner environment, as well as lower energy costs.
«We are particularly happy and proud of the contribution of the Syngelidis Group and Citroën in this important project that takes place on the island of Chalki. In line with the goals of reducing the climate footprint, set in the framework of the Action “Chalki Green – Smart Island”, we strongly support the ambition shown by the Greek government, the French embassy and the French business community, and we undertake the task of promoting the zero emissions electric mobility», states Mr. Polychronis Syngelidis, President of the Syngelidis Group.
The concrete and pragmatic approach to making the island of Chalki green by providing electric vehicles and starting the immediate transformation of Chalki into a sustainable island with climate neutral mobility, really appealed to Citroën and echoes its own commitment to sustainable mobility. With our support, Chalki becomes the first GREEK-ECO Island.
