UEMI Newsletter | June 2026 Edition

Thamires Pecis
2 days ago
3 min read

We are excited to share with you the latest updates, insights, developments

and ongoing projects from the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative.

We appreciate your engagement in shaping sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Stay tuned for inspiring stories, key milestones, events, and upcoming opportunities to collaborate. Let’s keep driving change together! 🌱🚀

GEMINI and eBRT2030

GEMINI and eBRT2030 were represented at the Transport Research Arena Conference in Budapest, where both projects shared their work with researchers, city representatives and mobility stakeholders from across Europe.

At the European Commission stand, GEMINI presented updates from its Mobility Living Labs, with a focus on the Copenhagen and Amsterdam pilots, as well as resources from the GEMINI Academy. eBRT2030 also joined the event, contributing to discussions on electric Bus Rapid Transit and sustainable urban mobility.

Two electric vehicles assembled in Ecuador are now part of the E-Moviliza pilot: a Jinma, a light vehicle with a proven range of 230 km and a load capacity of 600 kg, and a Helmarv van with a range of 380 km and a load capacity of 650 kg. These vehicles were delivered to two companies that were enthusiastic about joining the pilot, optimizing their urban delivery operations, and experiencing the benefits of using electric vehicles in Quito, such as free public parking, exemption from vehicle restrictions (Pico y Placa), and the possibility of adding an extra operational day to their activities.

Currently, in Ecuador, the participation of women in the transportation sector does not exceed 10%, highlighting the importance of understanding the barriers and limitations that prevent women from accessing positions that are also suitable for them. A company like TICA promotes equality and implemented its pilot with a female driver, who had the opportunity to operate two different types of electric vans. Her experience provided valuable insights regarding the ease of driving electric vehicles, improved ergonomics, the convenience of automatic transmission, the elimination of fuel odors, reduced noise levels, and the overall comfort of vehicles designed for professional operations.

Within the framework of the E-Moviliza project, one company required the vehicle to be adapted for transporting refrigerated products at temperatures below 5°C. This represented an opportunity to test Ecuadorian industry capabilities, which successfully carried out the modifications for vehicles currently operating within Quito’s urban area. The vehicle’s floor and walls were adapted to ensure that products are handled under proper quality standards. Additionally, a leachate drainage system was installed to manage liquid waste generated during operations, allowing the vehicle to be properly washed and dried before the next working day.

GEMINI

GEMINI partners met in Helsinki for the project’s General Assembly, hosted by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

The meeting brought together representatives from the project’s 43 partner organisations to review progress, exchange updates from the Mobility Living Labs and discuss priorities for the final months of the project. With all eight Living Labs now operational, the consortium is focusing on evaluation, lessons learned and the next steps needed to make the results useful beyond the pilot phase.

MOBILISEHER

MobiliseHER brought together speakers from Europe and India for a dialogue on gender-responsive and inclusive urban mobility. The discussion focused on how transport systems can better reflect everyday travel realities, including safety, accessibility, first- and last-mile connectivity, gender-disaggregated data and community participation in mobility planning.