Due to be launched imminently, the Incentives for Cleaner Vehicles in Urban Europe (I-CVUE) project aims to reduce CO2-emissions in urban environments by increasing the number of EVs in large fleets in urban areas.

The project will achieve this by mentoring large urban based pan-European fleet operators, offering them free EV usage analysis and mentoring and creating a framework that authorities can use to set up tailored fleet incentive programmes to increase the uptake of EVs according to the specific socio-economic conditions of the city, or region. In addition, web-based tools will be developed to enable policymakers to evaluate the effectiveness of various incentives for their specific region.

Firms taking part will include rental and leasing, logistics and corporate fleets to cover a broad base of fleet types. The plan is to work with 10 large urban fleets within the lifetime of the project (and more beyond) with a combined reach of over 100,000 vehicles across Europe.

The results will be used to facilitate the transfer of best practice principles and incentives between different Member States in Europe through the development of an incentive framework to support EV uptake.

The project is also intended to have a long-term effect by enabling new partners at a local level to adopt the mentoring approach after the project has ended to help support large urban fleets in their own Member States.

The project is based on similar successful models in the UK – under the Plugged in Fleets initiative – and Austria.

Full details of the project will follow in due course.