As the trip is unfortunately slightly coming to an end, we hopped on to the last planned stop on this route and likewise the last planned stop in the Aegean Sea: Astypalaia.
Haven't heard of Astypalaia yet? Well, let me give you some facts about this beautiful treasure island, often also referred to as the 'Butterfly in the Aegean Sea' - why? Simply because of the island's peculiar shape and its definite beauty. For those seeking purity of Greek islands, tranquility, authenticity and the most crystal-clear waters - it's definitely love at first sight. I've been to so many Greek islands so far, but trust me this one is really among my top 5 so far.
Other than the islands we visited before, Astypalaia up until now is mostly known to insiders and hence not that super touristic, offering authentic, pure hospitableness.
Astypalaia and sustainable island? #whatsthat
Within a very short period of time, we got to know so many kind people, talked to them very openly, were invited for drinks on a sailing boat and were given the best tips for the island - and also since the van attracts attention on a small island, one topic of course did not stay out: diconium's relation to the Volkswagen Group - and this is at no coincidence because Astypalaia - together with the Greek government and the Volkswagen Group - are on an ambitious mission: Establishing Astypalaia as the sustainable Greek flagship island by implementing various measures aiming at emission-free, shared mobility and green energy supply generated from renewable sources. Thus, the model island could be the first region to achieve completely emission-free mobility and reneable energy supply, serving in the best case as a role model to other regions and marking a further very important step towards climate protection and the reduction of green house gases - wow very ambitious and likewise remarkable!
The measures within this pilot project are build on a 4 pillar concept: vehicle eletrification, autonomous driving, charging & energy and smart mobility. Therefore, measures include the following:
- Convertion of traffic to e-mobility starting with public transport system, local authority vehicles and concluding with the private sector
- Establishment of charging stations network
- Introduction of ride and car sharing mobility services, later enhanced with e-scooter and e-bike rental as well
- Implementation of wind and solar power system to replace diesel generators and power 100% of Astypalaias electric fleet by 2023 - according to the plan
It is at no surprise that Astypalaia was chosen for this pilot project as it offers best conditions: a self-contained ecosystem as closed area without any limiting factors that cannot be influenced. Moreover, as being an island, perfect conditions are provided with wind and water to boost energy generation. Lastly, Astypalaia is considered to have the right size to efficiently start a pilot project in this field, especially when starting from scratch which definitely presents a huge advantage here.
From my point of view, the development and the VW influence are visible, not yet to a very great extent but still remarkably considering the different charging stations decking the island, the ride sharing e-cars and buses and the decent indications regarding the smart mobility app astyMOVE. We tested it - and it is easy going as with all other apps: Register, scan QR code, book your vehicle via smartphone, go!