The pilot was officially launched last week with an event across the three municipalities, marking the start of a new service that combines public charging infrastructure and shared electric vehicles. The initiative is being implemented locally by the Regional Government of Extremadura, with the collaboration of the Extremadura Energy Agency (AGENEX) and the three municipalities.
The pilot includes three charging points, located in Cilleros, Perales del Puerto and Coria. Cilleros and Perales del Puerto are two small rural municipalities with around 1,000 inhabitants each, while Coria is the main urban centre in the area and provides access to key services, including the local hospital. The location of one of the charging points at Coria Hospital is intended to facilitate access to the hospital for residents from the surrounding rural municipalities. In addition, two fully electric vehicles are available through a shared mobility service. Users can check vehicle availability and make reservations through a dedicated digital platform.
The launch event brought together representatives from the Regional Government of Extremadura, AGENEX and the three municipalities, as well as local citizens. The programme included visits to the new charging points, a demonstration of the vehicle reservation system, a citizen testimony and the symbolic charging of the vehicles.
Introducing the service to local citizens
The launch was followed by information and training sessions open to citizens in Cilleros and Perales del Puerto, organised by the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the Regional Government of Extremadura in collaboration with AGENEX.
The sessions provided a practical introduction to the new service, explaining how the digital platform works, how to reserve and use the shared electric vehicles, how the charging points operate and what the service offers to local users.
These activities are an important part of the pilot, helping citizens become familiar with the new mobility options available in their municipalities and understand how they can incorporate them into their everyday journeys.
The sessions also provided an opportunity to discuss the operation of the service directly with potential users. The collaboration of the municipalities of Cilleros and Perales del Puerto has been particularly important in bringing the activities closer to local communities and supporting the implementation of the pilot.
Seven pilots
The Extremadura pilot is one of seven pilot actions being implemented by RuralMED Mobility in rural and remote areas across the Mediterranean. Through these pilots, the project is testing different approaches to electric and shared mobility and collecting practical experience on their operation and use in rural contexts.
In Extremadura, the pilot will provide data on the use of charging infrastructure and shared electric vehicles, helping to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with introducing new mobility services in rural areas.
The experience gained through the pilots will contribute to the project’s wider work on supporting public authorities in the planning and adoption of more sustainable mobility solutions and facilitating the transfer of lessons learned to other rural territories.
Led by AGENEX, RuralMED Mobility brings together 13 partners from eight countries to demonstrate how electric mobility can become a viable option for communities beyond major urban centres.
