Interview with Charlotte Thiery, Project Manager, InclusivEV

The EIT Awards recognises the most promising entrepreneurs and innovators in Europe. Eight EIT Climate-KIC community members have been nominated for the 2018 edition.

This week, we speak to Charlotte Thiery, Project Manager, InclusivEV, who’s eligible to win the EIT Innovators Award and the EIT Public Award.

What’s your role?

As the project manager for the EIT Climate-KIC InclusivEV project, I am responsible for its overall management, coordination and evaluation. InclusivEV is a pan European project that investigates the potential for affordable and accessible electric share vehicles to reduce private transport emissions while fulfilling transport needs in outer city communities.

I have been working with ECar Club and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council for the development, installation and deployment of the first site. I have particularly enjoyed engaging with residents to understand the value the use of car club vehicles could add to in these neighborhoods.

Dissemination is key to ensuring replication of the project to maximise environmental impacts. I have therefore been responsible for presenting the project at key events and networking with relevant stakeholders.

What are you working on with EIT Climate-KIC?

The project is deploying 30 electric car club vehicles in each Solihull, Modena and Valencia, to demonstrate integrated, low carbon mobility in high density, low income neighborhoods. The project aims to prove that disadvantaged edge of city neighborhoods are commercially viable for electric car clubs. The overall objective is to encourage car club operators to move into this market to deliver clean mobility services to similar neighborhoods across Europe. The provision of 30 electric cars in a neighborhood also provides the opportunity to integrate these vehicles into the local energy system using vehicle-to-grid technology.

What are three implications of this work?

With 45 million households across Europe in similar neighborhoods, replication of the scheme could save 151,200 tonnes of CO2 per annum, creating significant environmental benefits.

By replacing journeys previously carried out by fossil fuel vehicles with 100 per cent electric travel, cities can benefit from significant improvements to local air quality.

The project is also aiming to improve social mobility by tackling transport poverty through the integration of electric vehicles into the public transport system and making them affordable and accessible to all.

What or who gives you hope or inspiration in the fight against climate change?

Since a young age I have always been interested in animal protection and environmental conservation. The person who inspires me and gives me hope that we can make a difference is David Attenborough, for making us accountable and raising awareness of our impact on the planet.

You may vote for Charlotte to win the EIT Public Award here.

Learn more about Charlotte’s work with InclusivEV in this video: