Which role does e‑mobility play for you?
Edward Schick, EDM Sales Support at GF Machining Solutions in Losone (Switzerland)
© Sebastian BergerIn my everyday life I encounter e-mobility in many different ways. On the way to work and to the supermarket or when going out in the evening, for example, many people dash past me with e-bikes, e-scooters or e-cars on the streets and sidewalks. I have the feeling that there are more and more e-vehicles and that many people have bought e-bikes in recent months, due to having more free time as a result of short-time work during the coronavirus crisis.
Like everything in life, e-mobility has advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, I see that I can cover long distances in a short time, for example with an e-bike, and thus have the opportunity to discover places.
Even though I don't own an e-vehicle, I have already ridden an e-scooter, in the summer of 2019 on my city trip to Zagreb (Croatia). It was fun and worked out perfectly. After only a short time the scooter can be steered safely, not only on tarmac, but also over cobblestones. An e-scooter is very well suited to cover short distances while exploring, for example from a point of interest to cafés and shops. But I do not recommend to explore the whole city with an e-scooter, because while driving, your attention should always be on the road rather than on beautiful sights.
Anastasia Kochina, Technical and Sales Manager at GF Piping Systems in Moscow (Russia)
© Arthur BondarIn Russia, e-cars can hardly be seen on the roads, as the whole infrastructure for this kind of transportation is underdeveloped. Compared to the price of electricity, the price of petrol is very low in my country. At present, we are aware that, compared to other countries, Russia is far behind when it comes to e-mobility, but we are slowly catching up. In March 2020, for example, Russia was quarantined because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the same time, when the government eased the restrictions, the old generation of trolleybuses in Moscow was completely replaced by new electric buses.
In addition, e-scooters are becoming popular in Russia. At first, they were available for private use only, but now there are also some for rent in the streets of big cities like St. Petersburg or Moscow. These cities with one million residents or more have one big problem: traffic jams. During rush hour, it can easily take one to 1.5 hours by car to cover a distance of about 20 kilometers—so e-scooters are a good alternative to cars. Personally I use e-scooters primarily when I travel in European cities. For instance, last summer I travelled to Malaga (Spain) and there I used this service to get around the local sights. That was fun!
© Sebastian Berger
© Arthur Bondar
© Sebastian Berger
© Arthur Bondar