ELECTROMOBILITY IN SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES AND CROSS-BORDER AREAS

Small and medium-sized cities around the world aspire to become greener, smarter, more liveable for citizens and appealing to tourists. In Europe, they undertake to make their transport infrastructures more sustainable and friendly to electromobility. In Asia, too, Chinese small cities can profit from several policies and incentives to promote electric mobility and it is of interest to see how these compare to the European cases. A major part of this paper refers to the European experience and more particularly that of Greece drawing largely on the experience from Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans and Electric Vehicles Charging Plans studies performed in Northern Greece and its northern border regions. The experience of China and its promotion of e-mobility in small urban areas is also reviewed and useful conclusions are drawn. The results show that there are several measures and policies specifically suited to small and medium-sized urban areas as well as those that are in the periphery of the country near border crossings to other countries. The final evaluation and selection should be made following the formulation, at an early stage, of a comprehensive and all-inclusive strategic plan for the promotion of emobility in the area. The novelty of the paper consists of a concise and all-inclusive reference to the factors affecting the promotion of electromobility in the special case of small and medium-sized urban areas as well as border areas and the recommendations for measures and policies that are given in Table 2. A novelty is also the SWOT analysis performed as well as the fact of the parallel presentation of European and Chinese policies.