Andaluzia and Algarve will have a network of electric vehicles to promote tourism. The cross-border regions of Andalusia (Spain) and Algarve (Portugal) are working on a network of electric vehicles for tourist areas on the coast of both countries, according to researchers at the universities of Huelva and the Algarve.

Designated as T2UES – Sustainable Urban Electrical Tourism Transport, the project aims to “promote the electric transport industry powered by renewable energy sources” in the regions of Andalusia and the Algarve, José Manuel Andújar, a researcher at the University of Huelva, told the Lusa agency.

“It is proposed to encourage the installation of a light, ecological and intra-urban transport network, to mitigate the problems of overpopulation in the summer tourist periods”, indicated the academic of Huelva, referring that the idea is “to strengthen the sector of tourism”.

The two regions are important tourist destinations, having registered more than 24 million overnight stays in 2018.

Cofinanced by the cross-border cooperation programme Interreg VA Spain-Portugal (POCTEP), the T2UES project, in addition to boosting the technological development of an electric vehicle network, invests in intelligent and environmentally sustainable charging points for the areas.

Started in January 2018, the cross-border initiative runs until the end of 2021, with a total investment of around 936 thousand Euros, of which 702 thousand are guaranteed by Community funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The electric vehicles “have nothing to do with electric cars, they are light vehicles, very easy to use, which do not require a driving permit and are designed for short distances, from urban centres and hotels to the beaches.

On behalf of the University of the Algarve, researcher Jânio Monteiro explained, “We’re going to try to make more use of the solar potential, which is quite abundant, both in the Algarve region and Andalusia”.

“Within a year and a half, we expect to have the first vehicles to be developed, to be placed on the market, to do the first tests”, declared the head of the University of Algarve.

Thus, at the end of 2020, it is expected that the technical specifications of vehicles and charging stations will be ready, as well as the characteristics of the software for the end user.

Sources: The Portugal News, AMAN Alliance