BIC Euronova, in collaboration with the City Council of Málaga and in the framework of the European smart cities project SME4SMARTCITIES, implements QUICK, a station for electric personal mobility vehicles linked to sustainable mobility consisting of a photovoltaic pergola for charging, disinfection and parking of electric scooters.
The European Business and Innovation Center of Málaga BIC Euronova, in collaboration with the City Council of Málaga and in the framework of the European smart cities project SME4SMARTCITIES, launches a pilot project that promotes micro-mobility and sustainable intermodality that consists of an infrastructure equipped with a photovoltaic pergola for charging, disinfection and parking of electric scooters.
This morning took place the official inauguration of this facility with the presence of Alicia Izquierdo, councilor delegate of Innovation, Digitization and Investment Attraction of the City Council of Málaga; Trinidad Hernández, councilor delegate of Mobility; Carlos García, delegate of Economy, Finance, European Funds and Industry, Energy and Mines in Málaga, as president of BIC Euronova; and Álvaro Simón de Blas, CEO of BIC Euronova. There were also present representatives of one of the two companies that created the solution, and part of the technical team of the Area that has been working on its implementation.
At the end of 2021, in the framework of the aforementioned European project of which BIC Euronova is a partner, a call for grants was launched in the Mediterranean area for technology companies and SMEs to provide solutions to challenges related to Smartcities issued by the participating territories: Genoa, Murcia region and Málaga on the European side, and several Near East countries.
The winning proposal of the SME4SMARCITIES project for Málaga, QUICK, has been developed, with the support of the City Council of Málaga and BIC Euronova, by two companies: the Málaga-based company, Owners Partners (from the Métrica6 group), and the European company based in Silicon Valley and Italy, California Innovation Group. The city of Málaga has received the amount of 40,000 euros of European funds for the implementation of this facility.
The proposal itself consists of the development of a charging and parking infrastructure for electric scooters in the city, thus solving two of the major problems regarding this type of vehicles and promoting the possibility of creating a new intermodality infrastructure. Specifically, it is a photovoltaic pergola that also has technology for the disinfection of the scooters, since the idea’s inception took place shortly after the pandemic.
On another note, OWNERS PARTNERS has developed the structural and photovoltaic design of the smart charging station for recharging electric scooters, as well as the management mobile application. Moreover, it is responsible for R&D&I in the area of electronics and control, as well as the development of the business model and its industrial protection. Regarding CALIFORNIA INNOVATION GROUP, it has been in charge of developing a marketing plan to promote the concept in Málaga and Genoa. Also, it will promote the creation of a B2B channel to quickly adapt to the user’s needs.
The charging station has been built in the surroundings of the Tabacalera to facilitate access to all types of users within the demonstration center, as well as for its ideal characteristics for the requirements of the infrastructure itself.
The City Council of Málaga has been participating in projects with the objective of improving efficiency in the use of energy, reducing CO2 emissions, introducing renewable energies and improving sustainable mobility options for citizens. For this reason, the Innovation Area has participated in this initiative.
The SME4SMARTCITIES project is financed by the European Union and is part of the ENI CBC Med Program, which aims to strengthen collaboration between SMEs and Mediterranean cities in the Smart City sector. Public authorities and SMEs work together to find the best technological solutions and achieve efficient city management.
Characteristics of the installation
The QUICK solution puts forward the creation of proposals that facilitate multiple transport models for travelers within the smart city, with a station for parking, sanitizing and recharging up to 8 electric personal mobility vehicles (scooters) and including a photovoltaic pergola to power the station and recharge the vehicles.
The pergola, installed in the Tabacalera enclosure of the City Council of Málaga, includes in each parking spot an intelligent lock, a power supply for charging and a disinfection unit for the handlebars of the scooter. This structure is fixed to the ground and connected to the electricity grid, having in the upper part an additional structure to protect vehicles and users from rain, as well as photovoltaic panels, battery and inverter. It also includes an advertising/information panel.
The reservation of the parking spots will be managed through a web platform and an APP with an adaptable design, so that it can be easily used on Smartphones.
Through this digital platform, users will be able to check the real-time status of the QUICK station, the number of available parking spots, the number of scooters used throughout the day, the solar energy produced, the energy consumption of the scooters and other relevant data.
More information about the project SME4SMARTCITIES