Fossil-free mobility is possible
At a symposium on mobility on October 24, 2019, the VCS Verkehrs-Club der Schweiz showed how emissions in transport can be reduced, presented examples that are already a reality today, and sketched out visions for the future of fossil-free transport.
Since its foundation, the VCS has been committed to environmentally and climate-friendly mobility. At the recent symposium, the transport club showed that various solutions for fossil-free mobility already exist.
Flagship models
There are no insurmountable hurdles in the way of implementing the energy transition in transport. Since December 2018, Bernmobil has been operating a bus line with battery-electric buses. Markus Anderegg, Head of Technology at Bernmobil, reported on the first experiences with the new technology at the symposium organized by the VCS at the Stade de Suisse in Bern.
It has great potential to replace diesel buses - yet the high cost and range limitations (still) stand in the way of its widespread use.
Dr. Philipp Dietrich, CEO of H2 energy, reported in his presentation on how his company is driving the development of hydrogen mobility in Switzerland. To this end, the H2 mobility promotion association was founded, in which filling station operators and transport companies also participate. By procuring hydrogen trucks and building hydrogen filling stations, they are ensuring both supply and demand for the energy carrier.
An outlook on the long-term technical potential of solar energy and battery technologies was offered by Roland Loos, CEO of Solarstratos. With the project of a two-seater solar airplane that is to ascend to the stratosphere, Solarstratos wants to demonstrate the potential of electric drives in air traffic.
In addition to the aforementioned technological improvements to drive systems, the VCS calls for consistent measures to avoid unnecessary traffic and to shift as much traffic as possible to environmentally compatible means of transport - for example, through incentive taxes on fossil fuels, minimum shares for renewable fuels, or stricter fleet targets for new cars and for delivery vehicles and trucks.
