Hengelo, The Netherlands. June 29, 2021.
Koolen Industries has invested in the large-scale roll-out of electric shared cars as energy storage. With a majority stake in We Drive Solar, Utrecht will be the first city in the world to have a large-scale bidirectional ecosystem in the short term. Other cities in the Netherlands and Europe will follow.
The ambition of Koolen Industries and We Drive Solar is to realize the energy and mobility system of the future in Utrecht: provide clean air and fewer cars on the street with hundreds of electric shared cars that form the buffer for green electricity from solar and wind in the city and region.
In the presence of King Willem Alexander, the very first bidirectional public charging station was put into use in Utrecht two years ago. We Drive Solar has now realized more than 500 charging stations and more than 100 electric shared cars in the city. With Koolen’s investment, the number of shared cars will double this year to 200 and will double again next year. With this, Utrecht will be the first city in the world to have a large-scale bidirectional ecosystem.
The residents of Utrecht now have a sustainable and cheap alternative for their own car. We Drive Solar works together with the municipality of Utrecht, Hyundai, Stedin, Last Mile Solutions, Elaad, Utrecht Sustainability Institute, Renault and project developers such as MRP, Ballast Nedam Development and Heijmans.
Koolen Industries invests in companies that accelerate the transition towards clean energy and mobility. The car as a battery on wheels offers great opportunities to accelerate a 100% sustainable energy supply.