eHUBS - Smart Shared Green Mobility Hubs

Project Summary

Background

As of today it is crucial for both the health and the quality of life of our citizens to simultaneously promote sustainability and accessibility in transport within cities. In the face of this difficult and challenging task, electric mobility sources like eHUBS might be the best future solutions.

Indeed, e-Mobility hubs, shortly eHUBS, represent a crucial step towards the adaption of shared and electric mobility services. These dedicated on-street locations, where citizens can choose from different sustainable electric transport options for shared use, will represent a real alternative to the use of private car, by providing opportunities to increase shared and electric mobility in a truly innovative way.

What are eHUBS and where to find them?

eHUBS are on-street locations that bring together e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-scooters and/or e-cars, offering users a wide range of options to experiment and use in various situations. The idea is to give an high-quality and diverse offer of shared electric mobility services to dissuade citizens from owning private cars, resulting in cleaner, more liveable and pleasant cities.

eHUBS can vary in size (minimalistic, light, medium, large), type of location, and type of offer. They can be small and located in residential areas, with just one or two parking spots, or bigger and positioned close to stations and major public transport interchanges, but, in the end, the key is that they should always be where supply and demand meet.

Actions

Six partner cities from five different countries will realise and promote eHUBS and pave the way for others to do the same. The eHUBS implementation approach will differ according to the size and needs of the respective cities.

In doing so, it will develop knowledge, best practices and a blueprint that would lead to replication of the experiences in other cities and regions, as well as a consistent reduction of air pollution, congestion and CO2 emissions in the cities and a growing market for commercial shared e-mobility providers aligned with local policy goals.

Long term effects

By kick starting the mobility transition in 6 pilot cities we will set an example for other cities in Europe, which will be able to benefit from applying the blueprint and copying best practices. A large-scale uptake will cause a leverage by significantly reducing CO2emissions in the cities and creating a growing market for commercial  shared e-mobility providers.

 

 

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Project Partners

Lead partner

Organisation Address Email Website
City of Amsterdam 1 Amstel
Amsterdam
1011 PN
Netherlands 		d.dekkers@amsterdam.nl https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/network/chief-technology-office
Name Contact Name Email Country
Promotion of Operation Links with Integrated Services aisbl (POLIS) Ivo Cré icre@polisnetwork.eu Belgium
Mpact asbl Justine Collie justine.collie@mpact.be Belgium
Autodelen.net Jeffrey Matthijs jeffrey@autodelen.net Belgium
Bayern Innovativ Ltd. Emma Costa Argemi costa@bayern-innovativ.de Germany
Cargoroo Jaron Borensztajn jaron@cargoroo.nl Netherlands
URBEE (E-bike network Amsterdam BV) Niels Hagels niels@urbee.nl Netherlands
City of Nijmegen Jasper Meekes j.meekes@nijmegen.nl Netherlands
Transport for Greater Manchester Sarah Kumeta sarah.kumeta@tfgm.com United Kingdom
City of Leuven Tim Asperges tim.asperges@leuven.be Belgium
TU Delft Gonçalo Homem de Almeida Correia g.correia@tudelft.nl Netherlands
University of Newcastle upon Tyne Dilum Dissanayake Dilum.dissanayake@ncl.ac.uk United Kingdom
City of Dreux Martin Chaucesse m.chaucesse@ville-dreux.fr France
Kempten (Allgäu) Nina Kriegisch nina.kriegisch@kempten.de Germany
University of Antwerp Thierry Vanelslander thierry.vanelslander@uantwerpen.be Belgium
The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) Jayne Golding jayne.golding@hitrans.org.uk United Kingdom
Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Alan Craven - Geraldine Moloney alan.craven2@esb.ie, Geraldine.Moloney@esb.ie Ireland
Autorité Organisatrice du Transport (AOT - Service Public de Wallonie Mobilité et Infrastructures) Jonathan Fretin jonathan.fretin@spw.wallonie.be Belgium
Mpact vzw Tjalle Groen tjalle.groen@mpact.be Belgium
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News

eHUBS report by Newcastle University : Identifying the potential early and late adopters of shared electric mobility hubs

Posted on

Shared electric mobility hubs, or eHUBs, offer users access to a range of shared electric vehicles on demand. However, little is currently known about what the characteristics of potential users of this novel type of shared mobility are. This makes it difficult to plan the location of hubs and to provide facilities, which ultimately will determine their success. This paper written jointly by the Newcastle University and the Delft University of Technology seeks to identify potential users based on an in-depth case study of a representative sample of the Municipality of Amsterdam population. The analysis employed an attitudinal market segmentation approach supported by the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations (DOI). Read More

Shared mobility experts gathered in Gothenburg to discuss the future of eHUBS and shared mobility services

Posted on

In the framework of the POLIS 2021 annual Conference in Gothenburg – Sweden, the eHUBS project gathered representatives of shared mobility and mobility-hub-related projects, local and regional authorities, and other relevant shared mobility experts to discuss the current and future challenges in the roll-out of these services, as well as their potential contribution to the UN sustainable development goals and sustainable urban mobility policy. Read More

Events

eHUBS and transport modelling: the case of Leuven

, Online

In the context of the POLIS webinar series "Mobilising mobility: Turning European transport innovation into local action", eHUBS join forces with the project MOMENTUM. The two projects will host a webinar featuring the CIty of Leuven as an example of how cities can capitalise from the participation in different European projects, cooperating to contribute to local urban mobility policy objectives.
Read More

Mobility Hub Planning Academy

, Online

Do you work for a city that intends to plan and build their own mobihub? Are you advising cities on how to get the job done? For the first time ever, the SHARE-North project will be squeezing its two-day Mobility Hub Planning Academy into a one-day online seminar. You can learn first-hand from the City's of Bremen and Bergen on how to take your plans from idea to implementation. Expertise on Mobipunten and tendering will also be offered from eHUBS project partner Autodelen.net.
Read More

Long-term effects

One of the main objective of the eHUBS project is a sustained adoption of eHUBS after the end of the project and beyond the pilot cities involved in the project. In order to do this, the knowledge developed and the lessons learnt from the deployment and the promotion of eHUBS in the six partner cities will contribute to a blueprint, which will serve as the guidance for the replication of the experiences in other European cities and regions.

For the future implementation of eHUBS, a minimum service level will be defined, alongside a regulatory framework of future eHUBS in which a combination of e-shared mobility services in the public domain is defined.

The promotion and marketing of the eHUBS brand in multiple cities beyond the pilots will require a targeted effort aimed at developing and presenting use cases and local project results. The ultimate objective of this action is influence mobility behaviour among inhabitants towards adopting shared and electric mobility as a real alternative to private cars.

eHUBS pilot demonstrations

The main project output is the provision a critical mass of shared and electric vehicles and eHUBS, which will result in a decrease in private car use in cities. This task is undertaken by the six pilot cities and the shared e-mobility providers, who will make available shared mobility for citizens on 92 eHUBS, with almost 2400 shared light electric vehicles.

A joint methodology, which takes into account the diverse characteristics of cities, will be followed in the implementation of shared e-mobility. Different characteristics of the pilot cities will be considered: population size and density; morphology; number of private cars per household; current modal split.

The general eHUBS implementation approach will be diversified according on local variations and specific needs. The results of a continuous exchange between the pilot cities during the project will feed into the set of best practices for successful implementation of e-shared mobility.

Transport Modelling and Travel Behaviour Analysis

Another crucial result that will be developed within the project is a set of behavioural models, which will represent the key to investigating transport users’ attitude, in order to maximise impacts of the eHUBS. Such result will contribute to the draft of a blueprint for the replication of the eHUBS experiences in other European cities and regions.

The travel behaviour models will offer a platform to test the propensity to introduce novel eHUBS infrastructure and to identify where to locate them, based on existing demographic data and together with knowledge of current transport networks, services and operations. Qualitative and quantitative analyses will be included in the travel behaviour models.

Building on proven existing network modelling methods, the effects of eHUBS’ deployment in each pilot city will be analysed. This exercise will bring a transnational perspective to the project and allow essential comparisons of the eHUBS initiative across different cities, contributing to the identification of success factors and barriers.

Project Management

The eHUBS project is managed on a day-to-day basis by a project management team, which ensures that the project is executed according to plans and builds on experience and best practices from the management of previous INTERREG NWE projects.

Communication

The communication activities undertaken in the context of the project have the ultimate objective of increase the project visibility, disseminate project results and outputs, and making eHUBS a key reference for those professional audiences interested in the integration of shared and electric mobility services in cities.

The communication activities will be structured by means of a communication strategy, which will distinguish clearly between European-level and site-level communication.

eHUBS will organise outreach activities to take-up cities, a series of webinars which will focus on specific aspects of eHUBS, and it will fully exploit the INTERREG NWE communication tools and online channels. eHUBS will be featured at relevant international conferences and workshops dedicated to sustainable and innovative urban mobility.

eHUBS pilot demonstrations in new pilot cities and regions

Thanks to the capitalisation call, the project has engaged with additional cities and regions in North-West Europe (Dublin, Inverness, and Wallonia). These pilot sites will deploy and pilot eHUBS, by drawing on the experience of the existing partnership and taking advantage of the knowledge and experience collected by the first seven pilot cities. 

The new pilot sites will determine eHUBS locations, draft strategic and operational plans, define the eHUBS network together with shared mobility providers (cooperation or procurement), put in place a communication campaign and provide data to the academic partners in the consortium, in order to measure the impacts of eHUBS deployment on local transport systems.

 

Support to pilot cities and regions in the uptake of the TOMP-API standard 

The TOMP-API is an interface that connects transport operators and MaaS providers within a MaaS ecosystem and includes information on operator, planning, booking, support, payments and trip execution. The TOMP-API is currently in use, but transport operators need help to implement the standard. This activity supports NWE-wide uptake of the TOMP-API, with a focus on new cities and regions specifically, in order to maximise the impact of the project.A series of meetings between transport operators and cities will be held to establish a structured dialogue on the issue and to reach an agreement on use cases for datasharing and data specification.

Involvement of further replication cities and transport operators in new and existing regions and update of the eHUBS blueprint

Thanks to the capitalisation call for the project, a further set of activities will be organised in order to involve additional replication cities and transport operators in both existing eHUBS regions, as well as in new regions. Workshops, webinars, a second International eHUBS Academy, as well as an update to the eHUBS Blueprint will be provided. 

Investigation of the eHUBS potential to deliver sustainable transport in the new pilot sites.

The project will explore how eHUBS can deliver a modal shift to greener transport for longer door-to-door trips, from suburban and rural areas, by serving first and last-mile mobility needs and single trips in wider conurbations. 

This study will be realised by the means of questionnaires, summary reports, focus groups, and finally reporting and analysing the outcomes of changes that have occurred in people’s attitudes or travel behaviour as a result of the deployment of eHUBS.

 

 

The eHUBS Partnership

To find innovative solutions to the challenges of slow user adoption and scalability, eHUBS draws on a wide range of multidisciplinary expertise. The 15-partner consortium, led by the City of Amsterdam, will run until 2021 and is composed of European cities, network organisations, shared e-mobility service providers, and universities.

City of Amsterdam

Contact name: Debbie Dekkers
Email: d.dekkers@amsterdam.nl   
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/

The municipality of Amsterdam is a governmental organization of around 12.000 civil servants and a population of approximately 830.000 citizens. As a municipality, our core business is to implement national and local policy. Within the Smart Mobility Programme, we conduct experiments together with partners on the impact of new technologies on mobility.

Amsterdam is the biggest city in the Netherlands. The coming years we face challenges due to the city growth. Realising eHUBS  in close cooperation with inhabitants in living districts is part of the solution. A bottom-up approach and focus on first mile of  travel, policies focused on reducing parking spots. We will cooperate with commercial transport providers and we will build 15-20 eHUBS in a targeted area and will provide space for the commercial shared e-mobility providers.

Polis Network

Contact name: Piero Valmassoi
Email: pvalmassoi@polisnetwork.eu   
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.polisnetwork.eu/

Polis is a network of European cities and regions working together to develop innovative technologies and policies for local transport. Polis supports the exchange of experiences and the transfer of knowledge between European local and regional authorities. Polis fosters cooperation and partnerships across Europe with the aim of making research and innovation in transport accessible to cities and regions. The network and its secretariat actively support the participation of Polis members in European projects. Polis participation in European projects allows to create a framework which facilitates dialogue and exchange between local authorities and the transport research community, the industry, and NGOs.

Mpact asbl

Contact name: Alice Burton
Email: justine.collie@mpact.be
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.mpact.be/

Since 1975, Mpact is an NGO with a mission “Share to Impact”. Mpact enables solutions for sharing: ride-sharing, car-sharing and on-demand transport for the elderly. Taxistop has developed a great amount of expertise in the organisation and sensibilisation of shared mobility. In September 2017, Mpact , together with Autodelen.net and Infopunt Publieke Ruimte, launched the concept of Mobipunt in Flanders. A Mobipunt is a tailor-made mobility centre that combines different types of shared, sustainable and multimodal mobility. Through the eHUBS project and building on the Flemish experience, Taxistop wishes to spread and experiment with this idea in Wallonia and Brussels.

 

 

Mpact vzw

Contact name: Tjalle Groen
Email: tjalle.groen@mpact.be
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.mpact.be/

 

Since 1975, Mpact is an NGO with a mission “Share to Impact”. Mpact enables solutions for sharing: ride-sharing, car-sharing and on-demand transport for the elderly. Taxistop has developed a great amount of expertise in the organisation and sensibilisation of shared mobility. In September 2017, Mpact , together with Autodelen.net and Infopunt Publieke Ruimte, launched the concept of Mobipunt in Flanders. A Mobipunt is a tailor-made mobility centre that combines different types of shared, sustainable and multimodal mobility. Through the eHUBS project and building on the Flemish experience, Taxistop wishes to spread and experiment with this idea in Wallonia and Brussels.

Autodelen.net

Contact name: Jeffrey Matthijs
Email: jeffrey@autodelen.net 
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.autodelen.net/

Autodelen.net is the Flemish Carsharing network. The main goal is to maximise the ecological, social and economic benefits of car-sharing through: Combining and defending the interests of all car-sharing providers and private car-sharing groups; Representing car-sharing providers in work with (local) governments; Developing the general concept of car-sharing; Developing innovation and pilot projects.

Bayern Innovativ GmbH

Contact name: Emma Costa Argemi
Email: costa@bayern-innovativ.de
Country: Germany
Website: https://www.bayern-innovativ.de/ 

Bayern Innovativ was founded in 1995 at the initiative and ownership of the Bavarian state government in order to drive innovations in small- and medium-sized enterprises in particular. It brings together experts from industry and science at all levels of the value chain and offers customised services to help them to close existing gaps in technologies, supply chains and sales channels. The network of Bayern Innovativ presently comprise some 80.000 experts from 40.000 companies and research institutes and 80 partner network organisations. The activities focus on different technology and innovation fields, among others (e)mobility. Bayern Innovativ holds the Competence Center E-Mobility Bavaria and the Cluster Automotive.

Cargoroo

Contact name: Jaron Borensztajn
Email: jaron@cargoroo.nl  
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://cargoroo.eu/

Cargoroo offers shared electric cargo bikes in neighbourhoods of urban environments. Our shared e-cargo bikes are an essential ingredient to the mobility mix of tomorrow and are the solution to moving kids and cargo around town. By doing so we provide a fun, healthy, sustainable and fast alternative to car ownership and city logistics. 

URBEE

Contact name: Niels Hagels
Email: niels@urbee.nl   
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://urbee.nl/en

Urbee is the shared e-bike from Amsterdam, ready to open new cities in The Netherlands and Belgium. We believe that with shared e-bikes we contribute to a more liveable city with happier and healthier citizens, whilst reducing travel time and costs for our users. With Urbee e-bikes you get to your destination faster in a more fun and enjoyable way. With an Urbee e-bike you travel efficient, affordable and door-to-door. 

City of Nijmegen

Contact name: Jasper Meekes
Email: j.meekes@nijmegen.nl   
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://www.nijmegen.nl/

Nijmegen is a city of 177.000 inhabitants and is part of the urban region Arnhem Nijmegen with 765.000 inhabitants in 18 municipalities, specialized in health and education, smart energy and sustainable mobility. Nijmegen wants to be an attractive city, where there is space to live, to meet each other and to reside. Nijmegen expects to grow with 15 – 20% until 2030. To facilitate that growth, we aim to stimulate the most sustainable and most space-efficient modes of transport: walking, cycling and public transport. Nijmegen was the European Green Capital of 2018. We are the oldest city in the Netherlands, with a young vibe. Nijmegen works together with subpartner Arnhem in this project.

City of Arnhem (subpartner)

Contact name: Peter Swart
Email: peter.swart@arnhem.nl 
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://www.nijmegen.nl/

Arnhem is not only the capital of the province of Gelderland but is also known as the electric capital of The Netherlands. Since 1949, the Municipality of Arnhem has the largest trolley network in Northwest Europe and since 2014 the electric trolleybus 2.0 drives around Arnhem. In addition, for several years the city is home to some world players in the energy sector, such as the national grid operator TenneT, the regional system operator Alliander, DEKRA, DNV GL, MTSA Technopower, Nedstack and Hygear.

Transport for Greater Manchester

Contact name: Sarah Kumeta
Email: sarah.kumeta@tfgm.com   
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://tfgm.com/

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is the body responsible for delivering Greater Manchester’s transport strategy and commitments. We deliver the transport policies set by the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. We’re responsible for investing in transport services and facilities, to support the regional economy.

Greater Manchester’s exciting programme of capital transport investment is the largest in the UK outside London.  We’re planning for a more sustainable future. Through Greater Manchester’s Low Emission Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan we aim to make our city-region a cleaner, greener and healthier place to live, work and play in.

City of Leuven

Contact name: Tim Asperges
Email: tim.asperges@leuven.be   
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.leuven.be/

Thanks to the university, Leuven has been an innovative city of knowledge for centuries. The historic city centre’s beautiful monuments and rich heritage are a great showcase, as are the modern, urban renewal projects. The attractive historical centre of Leuven is traffic-free. The rest of the city centre is subdivided into 5 districts. Each district has a loop, directing traffic from the ring road to a city centre parking garage and back. Leuven policy favours parking outside the centre, the use of public transport, traveling on foot or by bike. In short, Leuven has all the advantages of a big city in a charming setting with a small-town feel. 

 

 

TU Delft

Contact name: Goncalo Homem de Almeida Correia
Email: g.correia@tudelft.nl   
Country: The Netherlands
Website: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/

Newcastle University

Contact name: Dilum Dissanayake
Email: Dilum.dissanayake@ncl.ac.uk   
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/

Newcastle University is a civic university with a global reputation for academic excellence. It belongs to the Russell Group that represents 24 leading UK universities.  The Russell group universities are committed to maintaining the very best research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience and unrivalled links with business and the public sector. With nearly 6,000 staff and a turnover of almost £490 million it plays a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of the north east of England. Nearly 17,000 undergraduates and over 6,200 postgraduate students are now engaged in its excellent research-informed degree courses, learning from and working alongside academics who are at the cutting-edge of their discipline.

City of Dreux

Contact name: Martin Chaucesse
Email: m.chaucesse@ville-dreux.fr    
Country: France
Website: https://www.dreux.com/

Located between Ile de France and Normandy, less than one hour from Paris, Dreux lies in the heart of a valley bathed by a charming river and bordered by a secular forest. City of nature and History, its green parks and gardens, the public spaces and the historical monuments offer multiple and evocative atmospheres and environments.

After two decades of major urban renewal and development that have shaped the face of the city, Dreux is now seeking to revitalize its downtown, by implementing many projects that integrate housing, economic and commercial development, accessibility and mobility, public space and historical patrimony, equipment and public services.

Dreux loves the challenge, dares and moves forward!

City of Kempten (Allgäu)

Contact name: Nina Kriegisch
Email: nina.kriegisch@kempten.de   Country: Germany
Website: https://www.kempten.de/

Kempten is in the south of Bavaria on the edge of the Alps and is one of the oldest towns in Germany founded by the Romans. It is located in the picturesque glacial countryside with a hilly topography and a beautiful panorama of the Alps. Kempten has about 70 000 inhabitants and is an attractive location for midsized companies, which makes it an important regional center with 30 000 commuters daily. Due to its proximity to the Alps, the cultural sites and sportive possibilities it also is a tourist attraction.

TPR - University of Antwerp

Contact name: Thierry Vanelslander
Email: thierry.vanelslander@uantwerpen.be     
Country: Belgium
Website: https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/

The Department of Transport and Regional Economics of the University of Antwerp (TPR) is committed to be an international centre of excellence for fundamental and applied academic research in transport economics, logistics and regional economics. Its mission is to improve transport and logistics for our society and the business community. Its research results in theories, applications and instruments to enhance existing academic knowledge, transport policy and supply chain environments. Therefore, TPR conducts innovative and multi- disciplinary research within an international context and organizes educational programs from bachelor up to PhD level . TPR pursues results that are academically sound, economically viable and supporting sustainable development. It values a critical and an independent approach and an open communication. TPR’s research activities unfold within a framework of programs stimulated by the university, public authorities at all policy levels, non-profit organizations as well as private or semi-private actors.

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (subpartner)

Contact name: Marije van Gent
Email: m.j.van.gent@hva.nl  
Country: The Netherlands
Website: http://www.amsterdamuas.com/

The Hogeschool van Amsterdam is a metropolitan university where students, teachers and researchers from different perspectives and disciplines work together with each other, with companies, organizations and (knowledge) institutions. The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences delivers education and research in all conceivable areas: culture and society, health care, trade, fashion, logistics, aviation, shipping, ICT, sports, and much more. The research group Psychology for Sustainable Cities, part of AUAS, consists of an interdisciplinary scientific team, whose members have backgrounds in behavioural sciences and urban sustainability. The researchers utilise insights from applied psychology as a theoretical framework in setting up behavioural research.

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)

Contact name: Jayne Golding
Email: jayne.golding@hitrans.org.uk 
Country: Scotland, UK
Website: https://hitrans.org.uk 

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) is the statutory regional transport partnership covering Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney, Highland, Moray and most of the Argyll and Bute area. HITRANS work with Councils, the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, transport operators and other stakeholders to improve transport services and infrastructure in the north of Scotland and on routes to the Highlands and Islands.

 HITRANS main role in the EHUBS project is to launch three EHUBS in and around Inverness at strategic interchanges, with the offerings to include e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, EV car share options and improved access to public transport information. HITRANS will market these new EHUBS and offer an ability for the public to book these multimodal transport services, building on existing work within this area through HITRANS upcoming Mobility as a Service project. HITRANS will measure use of the EHUBS to calculate CO2 emission savings, and learnings can be used for further rollouts in Inverness and other HITRANS areas, as well as cities elsewhere in Scotland.

Electricity Supply Board (ESB)

Contact name: Alan Craven -  Geraldine Moloney
Email: alan.craven2@esb.ie, Geraldine.Moloney@esb.ie 
Country: Ireland
Website: Homepage - Electricity Supply Board (esb.ie)

ESB was established in 1927 in the Republic of Ireland under the Electricity (Supply) Act 1927. As a strong, diversified, vertically integrated utility, ESB operates right across the electricity market: from generation, through transmission and distribution to supply. In addition, ESB extracts value along this chain: supplying gas, using our networks to carry fibre for telecommunications, developing electric vehicle public charging infrastructure to transition to a zero-emission society.

Autorité Organisatrice du Transport (AOT - Service Public de Wallonie Mobilité et Infrastructures)

Contact name: Jonathan Fretin
Email:jonathan.fretin@spw.wallonie.be

Country: Belgium 
Website: L'Autorité organisatrice du Transport (wallonie.be)

AOT is part of the Administration in Wallonia. Our main goal is to rethink the system of public transport in Wallonia along with local, regional and national contributors. To achieve this goal, AOT organize, regulate and supervise the operating system for public transport.

In 2019, the Government of Wallonia adopted the Regional Mobility Strategy which provides the creation of « mobipôles ». A « Mobipôle » is a mobility center that combines different types of shared, sustainable and multimodal mobility. In collaboration with Taxistop ASBL, which is an original partner of this project, and through these eHubs and mobipôles project, we would like to improve the multimodal mobility in Wallonia.  

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the biggest city in the Netherlands. Within the Smart Mobility Programme, it conducts experiments together with partners on the impact of new technologies on mobility. Realising eHUBS in close cooperation with inhabitants in living districts is one of these solutions. A bottom-up approach and focus on first mile of travel, policies focused on reducing parking spots. We will cooperate with commercial transport providers and we will build 15-20 eHUBS in a targeted area and will provide space for the commercial shared e-mobility providers.

By offering Amsterdam residents affordable and handy alternatives, it should become possible for all Amsterdam residents to travel in a cleaner and smarter way. eHUBS would be a great example of this. The goal is to facilitate 15 to 20 eHUB locations in the city in the coming years.

Last Summer the Amsterdam City Council conducted various travel pilots , helping employees, residents and public professionals (including teachers, nurses, childcare workers) to travel in a cleaner and smarter way in a pilot with e-bikes The results of the are being used to create new policy regarding (shared)e- mobility. Another pilot involved Amsterdam residents, handing in their car for two months. in exchange for travel credit which could be used for public transport, bike and car sharing and taxis. After the pilot, about 30% of the participants chose to permanently discard of their car. Amsterdam City Council, together with the Behaviour Science department of the university of applied sciences Amsterdam is planning to use these insights and knowledge to get people out of their privately owned cars and into shared mobility made available through eHUBS.

Leuven

Leuven is a mid-sized city with about 100 000 inhabitants (and ca 60 000 students), situated 20 km east of Brussels. Because of its high dynamic and the location in the slip stream of Brussels, Leuven is coping with a high level of traffic congestion. Next to this Leuven has the ambition of becoming a climate-neutral city. The last decade Leuven has implemented a sustainable urban transport strategy, in which the development of shared mobility services and multimodal transport are key elements. The clustering of shared mobility services in eHUBS is part of this strategy. At this moment Leuven is carsharing city nr. 1 in Belgium, it offers a back-to-one bike sharing system and Leuven is preparing an e-cargobikesharing project. This strategy together with experience is perfectly fitting within the goals of the eHUB project. 

In Leuven, there will be eHUBs on strategic locations, connected to other modes (e.g. public transport), but also smaller eHUBs in living area (on neighbourhood level). Strategically a top-down approach will be utilised. On neighbourhoud-level the end users requests and ideas will be integrated in a bottom up approach during selection procedure. The user pool will consist of inhabitants, students as well visitors. Within the next three years, 50 eHUBs will be realized. As pilot and prototype development Leuven will not only become a regional, but also a transnational showcase for the growth and extension of a larger eHUB-network.  

 

Arnhem

Arnhem is not only the capital of the province of Gelderland, but is also known as the electric capital of The Netherlands. Since 1949, the Municipality of Arnhem has the largest trolley network in Northwest Europe and since 2014 the electric trolleybus 2.0 drives around Arnhem. In addition, for several years the city is home to some world players in the energy sector.

The goals of the city pilot in Arnhem are related to the municipality’s programme "Room for Development".  In this programme a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan will be the guideline for shared mobility and moving towards less cars and zero emission mobility. There is a strong link with the energy transition programme New Energy made in Arnhem: the strategic charging infrastructure plan.

In Arnhem three locations with shared mobility will be realised within the framework of eHUBS, but a integral approach concerning shared mobility of the whole city will be made as part of the SUMP. These three locations:

  1. Development of a new sustainable neighbourhood near Tennet and a existing new neighbourhood, where mobility and parking will be reduced in favour of a sustainable environment: HES location.
  1. A transfer hub in the new part of Arnhem, Schuytgraaf, next to the newest railway station in Arnhem-Zuid, will be developed further to include shared transport: station Arnhem-Zuid.
  1. A transfer hub in the eastern part of the city, on a industrial area IPKW, will be developed including shared mobility.

Nijmegen

Nijmegen is a city of 177.000 inhabitants and is part of the urban region Arnhem Nijmegen with 765.000 inhabitants in 18 municipalities, specialized in health and education, smart energy and sustainable mobility. Nijmegen wants to be an attractive city, where there is space to live, to meet each other and to reside. Nijmegen expects to grow with 15 – 20% until 2030. To facilitate that growth, we aim to stimulate the most sustainable and most space-efficient modes of transport: walking, cycling and public transport. Nijmegen was the European Green Capital of 2018 and it is the oldest city in the Netherlands, with a young vibe.

The city want to stimulate sustainable mobility. Electric mobility is important, but it is also needed to decrease the amount of parked and driving cars,

because we don’t want to be stuck in a sustainable traffic jam. Therefore, the aim is to stimulate active mobility (cycling and walking) and public transport as the most obvious choice for mobility. It is more space-efficient and keeps people healthier. When people are willing to give up their second or first car, we gain parking space and have the opportunity to improve the quality of the public space and create a more attractive living environment.

Ten eHUBS willl be built in Nijmegen to learn what works and what not, in order to upscale the concept in our cities and the smaller municipalities in our region. The idea is to let people make a concious choice between modes of transport for every trip and break the habitual behaviour. Often an e-bike or an e-moped will be the best choice, sometimes it’s a car. Also, the goal is to make the use of electric cars available for everyone, not only the people who can buy one.

The eHUBS will be realized in areas with new developments, at nodes for public transport and in neighbourhoods with existing energy to live in a sustainable way. It is important that the eHUBS are demand-driven, so the end users will have a final say in the modalities that will be offered.

Manchester

Greater Manchester has ambitious plans to decarbonise by 2038. The transition to electric mobility will be a key part of this, both in terms of our public transport network but also moving private trips into electric vehicles. The electric vehicles offered through the e-Hub project offer a great opportunity for residents and drivers to experience and trial electric private mobility.

In addition to the carbon benefits, introducing and accommodating the idea of shared mobility will help to reduce the number of vehicles on our roads full-stop, providing more roadspace for more publicly-orientated space: parks, trees and public transport. Shared mobility is a key element in the future of mobility more broadly, with concepts such as Mobility-as-a-Service

and the e-Hubs project will enable us to explore how best we can bring these into our growing digital mobility eco-system.

Of course, the e-Hub project is not just about electric cars but also electric bicycles, and moving rips from private motor vehicle to active travel is a key goal of TfGM, being supported by our Bee Network which will provide 1,000 miles of safe cycling and walking routes. The e-bicycles provided through e-hubs will enable a broader range of people to explore active mobility, in particular providing a viable alternative to the small car for numerous short trips.

Taken together, by promoting and enabling both electrification and shared mobility, the e-Hubs project will pioneer the future of mobility in Greater Manchester, helping us to integrate and understand how these modes can best be used and how best to encourage their uptake in a way which will effectively meet our ambitions to reduce congestion, boost active travel and improve air quality. 

Kempten (Allgäu)

The town of Kempten (Allgäu) is the only participating town in Germany and the town with the hilliest topography. Kempten will build approximately 5 eHUBS, 2 medium sized and 3 small.

Kempten will promote the eHUBS to the public and communities with similar characteristics.  Kempten will start a nudging campaign to involve the users and attract and contract shared e-mobility providers to make their shared e-mobility solutions available. The planned eHUBS will target mainly tourists, but also students and commuters. The Kempten University of Applied Sciences will also be contacted in order to finalise the preliminary analysis and draw upon their experience in the field of e-mobility. Kempten will participate in workshops to develop a business case for Kempten and to help develop a business case for potential replication cities.

Finally, Kempten will serve as a model for communities with undulating topography and organise workshops for other alpine communities to communicate progress and experience.

 

Dreux 

Due to its geographical position, Dreux aims at facilitating  trade and transport with the surrounding cities (Paris, Rouen, Caen and Orléans) and at offering services, economic possibilities and high-quality life environment. To achieve these goals, the city is working on the following aspects::

  • Downtown attractiveness (shops, public spaces, economic activities, smart city, etc.)
  • Use cultural diversity to build a new city identity
  • Develop and facilitate mobility services
  • Consolidate and increase our culture offer to develop tourism activity

Furthermore, Dreux wants to develop projects to fight effectively against global warming.

The current team is working on deep changes to try to make Dreux attractive again and sustainable for a long time. To this end, the city is investing significantly in public spaces and equipment to offer a high-quality living environment and lock onto new opportunities.

During the past three years, the train station square has been completely renovated and designed to facilitate the use of public transport and soft mobility. Then, the bus station has been also renovated.

During the summer of 2019, 16 kms of bike path and bike lanes have been established;  the city aims at doubling the length of the city bike lanes by the end of next year.

By now, the city wants to engage in transport projects such as:

  • electric bus line for downtown city (line exists but is not electric today)
  • shared bikes on selected points in the city
  • shared electric cars
  • electric cars for city’s administration staff
  • web platform to inform people of the transport offer so that they can choose and reserve their bike, car, bus ticket, etc on line.

The eHUBS project's objectives correspond exactly to some of the goals set by the city of Dreux. By the end of 2019, we plan to deploy our first three eHUBs in Dreux.

As “Alone we go faster, together we go further”, the participation of Dreux in eHUBS is a great opportunity for the city to achieve its ambitious goals in terms of ecological, economic and social transition.

Inverness

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and one of Europe’s fastest growing cities, with a population of approximately 70,000 in the city and surrounding areas. It is considered to be among the top five UK cities to live, and attracts around 1 million visitors each year with its close proximity to Loch Ness and Cairngorms National Park. Inverness is served by road, rail and air connections, with Inverness Airport offering flights between several domestic and international hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick and Amsterdam.

The main role of the city and the regional transport partnership HITRANS in the EHUBS project is to launch three EHUBS in and around Inverness at strategic interchanges, with the offerings to include e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, EV car share options and improved access to public transport information. HITRANS will market these new EHUBS and offer an ability for the public to book these multimodal transport services, building on existing work within this area through HITRANS upcoming Mobility as a Service project. HITRANS will measure use of the EHUBS to calculate CO2 emission savings, and learnings can be used for further rollouts in Inverness and other HITRANS areas, as well as cities elsewhere in Scotland. 

Region of Wallonia

The territory for the implementation of the eHUBS in Wallonia will be around the railway stations of Namur, Saint-Denis-Bovesse, Gembloux, Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuve and Wavre. The concept will be tested in urban and rural areas, and will have a strong connection with public transport. There will be about 155 shared mobility devices, from electric bikes to cars, including electric scooters and cargo bikes, disseminated in 15 hubs. This approach is part of the regional desire to set up an integrated public transport system from the most structuring (national rail network) to the most flexible (local mobility), through the hierarchical regional network of regular public transport.

AOT is piloting the redeployment of the offer for regular public transport across Wallonia and has already produced a Regional Public Transport Plan for the area around Gembloux, which will be implemented by the Transport Operator of Wallonia in 2023. The objective is to offer mobility solutions for the first and last miles around physical locations identified as intermodal hub in areas where public transport services are being redesigned. Also, it is a question of strengthening the link between public transport and new forms of mobility and to contribute to the design and promotion of the concept of eHUBS/multimodal hub in Wallonia, as well as capitalizing on the methodological approach and the communication tools already developed in other regions through the existing eHUBS partners.

Dublin (ESB eBikes)

Dublin is the capital city of Ireland and has a population of 1.2 million residents. Being the economic centre of the region, the city receives high levels of traffic with many commuting into the city from surrounding towns. This has contributed to Dublin being one of the most congested cities in Europe. To reduce this congestion and ensuing greenhouse gas emissions, the local authorities within the city aim to make sustainable transport methods more accessible to residents. As well as this, they have planned to reduce carbon emissions from the city by 40% by 2030. Promoting cycling as an alternative to private transport in the city is an essential route to achieve this target.

ESB eBikes, a pilot eBike rental scheme, will offer an affordable, shared and low-carbon mobility service to commuters. ESB has been in discussions with local authorities to identify the most suitable sites for eHubs along the primary commuter pathways into Dublin. This would allow commuters to travel by eBike instead of driving a private car into the city. While journeying a long distance using a push bike may be unattractive, cycling on an eBike is far more accessible. As such, this is primarily aimed at those needing to commute from the outskirts of the city and beyond towards the city centre. The participation of Dublin in the eHubs project is a great opportunity to test the success of eBikes in displacing private cars in highly congested cities.

Deliverables

From here, you will be able to download and read all the deliverable report produced in the contexts of eHUBS.

Work Package Transport Modelling and Travel Behaviour Analysis

D1.1: State-of-the-art related to eHUBS: This report explains the current use of and the barriers to uptake new shared and electric mobility modes. It also identifies characteristics of early adopters of novel systems and types of incentives that have been put in place.

D2.1: Maps with the indicator of potential locations for eHUBS: A quick scan regarding the potential of shared e-mobility demand for the pilot cities was conducted. For each city, heatmaps were created with the purpose of indicating each zone’s demand level of shared electric cars and e-bikes relative to all other zones. The demand indicator of each zone is determined by the socio-demographics of local population, transport connections and land use conditions. 

D3.3: Report on the aggregate results of the survey: This deliverable presents descriptive analyses and comparisons across cities using the data obtained from the first eHUBS questionnaire targeted at the general population.

Work Package Pilot Demonstrations

D1.1 eHUBS Functional and technical requirement: This deliverable report presents the definition for three different categories of eHUBS, according to their size, type of shared mobility modes offered. It also entails the different service levels and minimum shared mobility requirements for the three different types of eHUBS. 

D2.1 Pilot cities' oprational plans for eHUBS: Every pilot city developed an operational plan for the implementation of eHUBS solutions in their urban contexts. These plans include number, size, location and type of of electric shared mobility services that will be offered in cities.

Amsterdam

Leuven

Nijmegen 

Arnhem

Manchester

Dreux 

Kempten

D2.2 Joint methodology for eHUBS: One of the main objective of the WP Pilot Demonstrations is to develop a joint methodology for the implementation of eHUBS solutions in cities, which will enable the creation of a blueprint aimed to the replication of the eHUBS experience by follower cities. This deliverable report sketches the general approach in making eHUBS available and it provides with a general framework for the selection of locations for eHUBS, the planning of an offer of shared and electric mobility at eHUBS, and the activation of the hubs. 

D5.1 Pilot cities' eHUBS final Implementation reports:

Leuven

Work Package Long-term Effects

D1.1/1.2: Workshop for eHUBS participating cities and commercial e-mobility providers: On the 24th of October 2019, the eHUBS consortium organised a workshop with partner cities and shared e-mobility providers, to discuss different viable business models for eHUBS. The conclusions of this workshop were processed in an analysis that identified five business models prototypes for eHUBS. 

D2.1 Blueprint (handbook) for partner cities and for replication cities:Handbook on implementation of eHUBS for replication cities. From concept development to tendering, construction works and marketing tools.

D3.1 eHUBS Visual branding: The objective of this deliverable is to create a recognisable and visually accessible visual identity that increases the usage and user-comfort. Designing branding-guidelines can contribute to a coherent use of the visual identity for eHUBS partner cities and other cities in the North-West Region .

D3.2 eHUBS brand campaign materials: This report gives a structured overview of the communication interventions the eHUBS’ partner cities have applied. It provides possible guidance for municipalities to initiate a four-staged communication campaign, indicating:
   

- The purpose of every communication stage - Concrete examples of how the eHUBS’ partner cities put the communication interventions into use - The different approaches to the four communication stages the partner cities adopted - Experiences and lessons learned from the eHUBS’ partner cities - Specific recommendations on how to start an effective communication campaign.

 

D6.3 An API standard for the information dashboard for users on an eHUB kiosk & website platform: This document provides a description of the API standard used in eHUBS to enable communication between transport operators and MaaS providers and of the information KIOSK application to inform users about the multimodal mobility offer at eHUBS. 

D8.1 Prototype of Service Level Agreement: This document provides guidance to local and regional authorities to regulate the presence of shared (electric) mobility providers in the public domain. A spectrum of different kind of formal ways to regulate shared mobility is presented, as well as non-binding measure to stimulate its uptake. A checklist of a contract for shared mobility provider selection and appointment by cities is also provided.

 

Newsletter

In this section, you will be able to access to all the issues of the eHUBS newsletter.

eHUBS Newsletter 1 (13 November 2019)

eHUBS Newsletter 2 (8 April 2020)

eHUBS Newsletter 3 (14 December 2020)

eHUBS Newsletter 4 (02 June 2021)

eHUBS Newsletter 5 (27 October 2021)

eHUBS Newsletter 6 (28 April 2022)

eHUBS Newsletter 7 (3 November 2022)

Promotion material

Take a look at the promotion material that has been developed by the project in order to disseminate its objectives and results at international, national, and local events and conferences.

eHUBS Project leaflet (EN) 

eHUBS Project leaflet (NL)

eHUBS Project leaflet (DE)

eHUBS Project leaflet (FR)

eHUBS Project poster

Presentations

In this section you will find the presentations given by project partners and external experts at events organised by the project or where eHUBS featured. This section also hosts presentations made by partners to sum up results of project activities and deliverable reports.

eHUBS Conference: Building hubs for sustainable and liveable cities - 20/21 June, 2022

eHUBS 6th webinar - Potential Business models for eHUBS? - 17 June, 2022

 eHUBS 5th webinar - Communication strategy and eHUBS’ successful uptake - 10 June, 2022

eHUBS 4th webinar - Planning and Evaluation of eHUBS - 03 May, 2022

eHUBS webinar ‘Data integration for eHUBS: TOMP-API and CDS-M’ (EN)

eHUBS International Academy Bergen, Norway. 29 September - 01 October, 2021

eHUBS 3rd Webinar - Behavioural change at electric mobility hubs - 16 June, 2021

eHUBS 2nd Webinar - How to plan an eHUB? - 15 December, 2020

European Transport Conference Online - 9/11 September, 2020

International Transport Forum(ITF) Pre-Summit Research Days Online - 11/12 May, 2021

NaKoMo Conference (Summit of the German Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure) - 18 November, 2020

Work Package Transport Modelling: 

Heatmaps with the indicator of potential locations for eHUBS

Work Package Long-term Effects:

eHUBS Visual identity and branding

eHUBS 1st Webinar - What are they and how do they connect different modes in a MaaS landscape? - 29 May, 2020

Other project resources

In this section, you will find other resources that have been produced by the project as a result of the work of partners.

Amsterdam Weesperzijde pilot report: This document reports about a citizen-led street experiment called ‘proeftuin Weesperzijdebuurt’ that was hosted in the early summer of 2019 in Amsterdam-East. It had the objective of enhancing the value of urban spaces for the quality of life, by temporarily shutting down parts of the Weesperzijde neighborhood to cars, removing parking spaces, increasing green space and experimenting with shared mobility hubs. 

Booklet Applying psychological concepts to assist the uptake of eHUBS: This booklet contained 10 recommendations for the uptake of eHUBS developed by the Amsterdam University of Applied Science, using insights from applied psychology as a theoretical framework for conducting behavioural research. The aim of this work is to support cities to develop a mix of effective interventions to stimulate a change in the mobility patterns of citizens, and in particular of car users and car owners, and to foster a modal shift towards shared and electric mobility. 

Academic paper: Electric carsharing and micromobility: A literature review on their usage pattern, demand, and potential impacts: This academic article was written by the eHUBS partners from TU Delft, Fanchao Liao and Goncalo Correia, drawing from the work undertaken in the context of the project. It investigates the existing literature on three shared e-mobility modes focusing on their usage pattern, demand estimation, and potential impacts: electric carhsaring, e-bike sharing, and e-scooter sharing.

Research report: Behavioural perspective on car owners’ uptake of shared e-mobility: Car owners’ motives for, and barriers to, trying out a vehicle from a Smart Shared Green Mobility Hub: This research report was written by the eHUBS partners from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) L.M. Kreemers, M. Tamis, J. van Brecht, and M.J. van Gent. The aim of this research was to gain insight into psychological factors that influence car owners’ intentions to try out shared electric vehicles from an eHUB in order to ascertain:

1. The psychological factors that determine whether car owners are willing to try out shared electric modalities in the eHUBs and whether these factors are identical for cities with different mobility contexts.

2. How these insights into psychological determinants can be applied to entice car owners to try out shared electric modalities in the eHUBs.

Business Model Blueprints for the Shared Mobility Hub Network: This study examines the case of the shared mobility hub, a location where shared mobility is concentrated, as a solution to overcome these challenges. To find ideas informing how a network of shared mobility hubs can contribute to sustainable urban mobility and to overcome the aforementioned challenges, a business model innovation approach was adopted. Focus groups, consisting of public and private stakeholders, collaboratively designed five business model (BM) blueprints, reaching a consensus about the value creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms of the network.

eHUBs—Identifying the potential early and late adopters of shared electric mobility hubs: Shared electric mobility hubs, or eHUBs, offer users access to a range of shared electric vehicles on demand. However, little is currently known about what the characteristics of potential users of this novel type of shared mobility are. This makes it difficult to plan the location of hubs and to provide facilities, which ultimately will determine their success. This paper written jointly by the Newcastle University and the Delft University of Technology seeks to identify potential users based on an in-depth case study of a representative sample of the Municipality of Amsterdam population. The analysis employed an attitudinal market segmentation approach supported by the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations (DOI).

Paper Electric Vehicle Symposium 35 (EVS35): ‘Reducing CO2 emission and disrupting car travel habits through personalized feedback’: This paper presents the results of an experimental field study, in which the effects were studied of personalized travel feedback on car owners’ car habits, awareness of environmental impact of their travel choices, and the intention to switch mods. For a period of six weeks, 349 car owners in Amsterdam used a smart mobility app that automatically registered all their travel movements. Results of this study are presented in this paper.

Paper literature study AUAS: ‘CO2 reduction through shared mobility: A review of psychological factors for the switch from a private car to shared transport': The potential CO2 reductions from shared transport can only be realised when people start making trips using cleaner electric shared transport instead of their current cars. In other words: car owners must exchange their own private car for electric shared transport. The AUAS conducted a literature review to gain insight into the (psychological) barriers and triggers that motivate this target group to make the switch or, on the contrary, to prevent them from making the switch. The results are reported in this paper.

 

Something for everyone? - An investigation of people’s intention to use different types of shared electric vehicle - ScienceDirect: Whereas most shared mobility providers offer one type of shared electric or conventional vehicle, electric mobility hubs, or eHUBs, offer users access to a range of modes in publicly accessible locations. An apparent strength of eHUBs lies in their appeal to different user groups that may have vastly different mobility needs. This paper written by Newcastle University concludes that the intention to use different types of vehicles is indeed predicted by different combinations of factors, with holding a positive attitude towards shared mobility emerging as the strongest predictor across the board. 

Toolkit: Behavioural knowledge for the promotion of electric shared transport: This toolkit, originating from the research group Psychology for Sustainable Cities, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), contains materials that help to promote behavioural change in relation to electric shared transport based in onstreet e-Mobility hubs (eHUBs). Behavioural knowledge is an essential ingredient for the successful implementation of eHUBs. Because behaviour is very dependent on the target group’s capabilities and motivation and on the social and physical context in which behaviour takes place, the research group has developed materials that municipalities can use to design a tailor-made eHUBs promotion intervention that suits their own situation. Therefore, practical examples and insights from earlier research are shared with regard to stimulating the use of eHUBs.

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