Dickson Beattie visits the Swiss Alps where he finds that petrol-guzzlers have been replaced by a fleet of electric vehicles.
As the train slows to a stop, the doors glide open to reveal a peaceful winter sports town. Nestled amongst the Swiss Alps, Zermatt is overshadowed by some of the most impressive peaks in the Mattertal Valley including the legendary Matterhorn. With a permanent population of 5500, it remains a Mecca for skiing and mountain climbing enthusiasts alike.
But there is another incredible feature that makes it stand out; it is also a Mecca for renewable energy and green transport. That’s right, the dream of almost every sustainability junkie has been realised here. No pollution, no carbon emissions. Most importantly, no fossil fuels are used for transport. Traditional motorised vehicles have been banned; the town’s entire fleet is electrified (except the emergency services vehicles).
Approximately half of the vehicles are built right in town, care of the mechanics and technicians of Stimbo. They offer two models for sale; the eight-seater ‘Stimbo’ and the strangely named two-seater ‘Jumbolino’. The other half of Zermatt’s electric vehicles is made up of around three hundred similar cars built in the UK and eight buses made in Germany.
Read the full article in ReNew 108.This entry was posted on Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 3:27 pm