Aveiro STEAM City Energy Use Case – Electric “Moliceiros”
Early this month, the City of Aveiro conducted a pilot to trial an electric engine solution developed by Torqeedo, in partnership with EFACEC (electric charger manufacturer) and with the local association of touristic operators, with free tours for the community in one electric “Moliceiro”, equipped with a 4KW engine and two batteries with 2,5h autonomy. For this pilot, the Municipality organized 16 circuits with a total of 320 passengers, who had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing, noise-free and eco-friendly trip.
With this initiative, the City of Aveiro and its partners continues its work to improve the quality of living of Aveiro’s residents and those who choose spend some holidays in the Portuguese Venice.
Once used by agriculture and salt industries, currently there are 27 vessels operating daily in the urban canals of Aveiro, for touristic and sightseeing purposes. These boats operate 8 hours/day and transport up to 35 people in a 45 minutes ride, which annually represents the transportation of over 1.1 million tourists. At the moment, the engines are either petrol or diesel, covering a shifting catalogue of power, consumption and models, realising to the atmosphere approximately 400 tonnes of CO2 every year.
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