The municipality of Enschede provides sustainable transport to employees

Officials declared approximately 500,000 kilometres annually and they were reimbursed by the municipality. Due to costs and the desire to use more sustainable transport, the municipality wanted to get rid of this system. Emodz has helped the municipality to shape this new methodology. Along with costs for public transport, the budget exceeded more than 200.000 euros. 

Emodz advises and guides governments, the business community, and the automotive industry with making the transition to sustainable future-oriented transport. Emodz has presented the municipality’s problem to the market: the car companies, leasing companies, and car importers. These companies have suggested their creative solutions, and Emodz picked the best. After this, they asked the market’s advice once again. All this deliberation has resulted in a well-considered plan, that was finally presented to the municipality of Enschede. The proposed solution: a car-sharing methodology for electric cars. 

The municipality presented this plan to the local companies: This is what we want, who wants to do this for us, and how cheap can you do this? The companies could register for this, and in the end, Baan Twente from Hengelo was awarded the contract. Baan can now provide mobility to the municipality of Enschede for four years, for a previously mentioned annual budget of around 200,000 euros. Officials can reserve one of the electric cars via an app, whenever they need one.

According to Tom Velthuis from Emods, the focus on buying mobility instead of buying cars is the future of transport. This idea has also been incorporated into the municipality’s car-sharing project. “It’s not about 17 or 23 cars, but just about mobility. If that is 3 cars on Monday morning and 15 on Tuesday afternoon, that is just something Baan has to arrange”, says Tom Velthuis. Baan must, therefore, ensure the municipality has the desired numbers of cars at its disposal. In addition, Baan is responsible if one of the cars breaks down and must then offer an alternative. In short, the municipality purchases mobility, not cars.

The shared cars of the municipality are not constantly in use. In order to make more efficient use of the available transport, and to make this model more rewarding for car-sharing methods such as Baan, more parties are involved. For example, one of the electric cars can be used by an employee of MST or the University of Twente if it is not used by an official from the municipality of Enschede. In this way, the volume of cars is used as optimally as possible, and other companies can also use mobility more sustainably. Because of this all, it is a citywide collaboration.

A smart app has been developed to make reservations for a car. To use this app, you need to be subscribed. Once you have reserved a car, you can walk to the car with your phone, and open the car with your phone. The employee, or employer, will then eventually receive the bill for the use of the car.

Public transportation options also needed to be included in this smart app. The employer can indicate which parameters are important, such as costs, efficient use of time, or sustainability. This means that if an employer wants more sustainability, public transport or an e-bike will most likely be chosen. If efficiency is most valued, the app will recommend reserving an electric car, unless it is around rush hour.

Not only has this project made the transport of the municipality more sustainable, but this entire system has also ensured that the employees of the municipality of Enschede look at their mobility. For a low commercial rate, the cars from Baan Twente are also available in their spare time. For example, several employees from the municipality have decided to sell their large car, because they can reserve a large car through the municipality when they need one. The car would otherwise just be standing still over the weekend. This makes car-sharing more attractive for market party Baan Twente, but also for employees of the municipality. Ultimately, employees have more mobility options for less money. This is the win-win of car sharing.