New Mobility Now!
How will we get around in the future? With the Mobility Plan D, the city of Düsseldorf is focusing on specific measures for the mobility transformation by 2030. In order for this to succeed, companies, startups, research initiatives and politics are working together.
NRW is not only the economically strongest and most populous federal state, it also has one of the densest transport networks in the world. If you also consider that 30 percent of Germany's automotive suppliers are based in NRW alone, it quickly becomes clear which global engine of the mobility revolution is humming here. More and more local and international companies are driving the e-mobility sector forward with their solutions or developing innovations in the areas of intelligent assistance systems and autonomous driving. When it comes to battery research in particular, NRW is at the forefront internationally. And in special clusters and networks, this wealth of know-how and experience from business and science is bundled.
As a growing city on a comparatively small surface area, Düsseldorf is particularly dependent on a sustainable and smart mobility approach. Every day, more than 640,000 Düsseldorfers and more than 300,000 commuters move through the city – on foot, by bicycle, by car, by truck or by bus and train. The numbers are on the rise. In addition, there are many business travellers and tourists. With up to 23 million passengers expected in 2023, Düsseldorf International Airport is one of the busiest in Germany (see interview on p. 13), there are more than 1,000 train journeys a day to the city and the third-largest inland port handles around 22 million tonnes of freight annually.
At the same time, developments such as climate change or demographic change play an important role in the question of how to shape mobility in the city. The Rhine metropolis is facing up to these enormous challenges with an urban strategy, the so-called Mobility Plan D. As a transport policy framework, also in dialogue with the citizens, it provides guidelines and measurable goals up to the year 2030 and implements concrete measures and projects in various fields of action, such as cycling, public transport, parking or road safety. Mobility Plan D takes a holistic view of all modes of transport in their interaction and at the same time takes into account topics relevant to mobility such as climate protection and urban development (see also the interview with Mobility Director Jochen Kral on p. 14).
Digital tools (see p. 26), new, interconnected forms of mobility and more environmentally friendly engines such as e-mobility also play an important role in successfully achieving the change to a future-oriented, sustainable mobility in the city. Especially when it comes to expanding the e-charging infrastructure, a lot is happening in Düsseldorf. “With more than 550 charging points in the city, Düsseldorf is the front-runner in North Rhine-Westphalia. A new charging point is added almost every day. It is the goal of Stadtwerke Düsseldorf to operate 10,000 charging points for public charging as well as for companies, organisations or private households by 2030,„ says a spokeswoman for Stadtwerke Düsseldorf. Already in 2022, the public infrastructure was expanded by 300 charging points, and this year there are to be 300 more.
“For international guests, the location at the airport is also definitely a deciding factor, because you can get from the terminal to the campus in five minutes on foot”
So soll der EUREF Campus Düsseldorf mit dem Innovationscampus und Mobilitätshub in naher Zukunft aussehen.
A special place of mobility is currently in the making: the EUREF Campus Düsseldorf. From 2024, around 4,000 people will work for a better future on the 80,000 square metre site, with a green innovation campus and a mobility hub. The site will be directly connected to the airport's long-distance railway station. ICE, RRX, S-Bahn and soon the U 81 will stop in front of its door, and the campus will also be served by four bus lines. In addition, one of the all-important cycle routes will soon pass in front of the campus. In keeping with this, a state-of-the-art bicycle parking garage with bike repair service and showers is being built on the campus. Together with the city, a mobility station is planned for rental scooters, car sharing and the like. There will be over 700 parking spaces for cars with a wide range of charging options, including charging hubs with so-called second-life batteries. A hydrogen filling station is also being planned. “For international guests, the location at the airport is also definitely a deciding factor, because you can get from the terminal to the campus in five minutes on foot,” says location manager Jörg Philippi-Gerle. In the EUREF Campus, tenants will also take care of the mobility of the future in a digitalised way, for example through research for the optimal networking of different public transport systems or the development of traffic guidance systems.
“we can only achieve the new mobility if we all work together”
A special offer for the business community is the Düsseldorf Mobility Partnership. To date, around 90 companies from different sectors have joined the network, including for example the transport company ABC Logistik, the creative agency BBDO Düsseldorf, the ERGO Group (insurance), the crane specialist Konecranes or the wholesale group Metro. 25 mobility partners are craft businesses – like Elektro Kai Hofmann. “I value above all the know-how you get through the network and the exchange with other companies in the city,” says owner Kai Hofmann. His business thrives by being present on-site at the customer's premises – which is why the customer service vehicles account for a correspondingly large share of the CO2 balance. As a mobility partner, Elektro Kai Hofmann is gradually converting its fleet to e-mobility, “not only in our own interest, but also to show our customers how e-mobility can work. Because we can only achieve the new mobility if we all work together,” concludes Kai Hofmann. •
Words: Tom Corrinth
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