Press releases

Launch of the VME project: VU Log, lFP Energies nouvelles, the Centre de Cluny Arts et Métiers ParisTech, and the towns of Rueil-Malmaison and Nice are joining forces to optimize the energy consumption of urban electric vehicles

29 September 2010

VU Log, IFP Energies nouvelles, the Electronics, Computing and Image laboratory (Le2i – UMR CNRS) of the Chalon-sur-Saône Institute and the Centre de Cluny Arts et Métiers Paris Tech, together with the towns of Rueil-Malmaison and Nice announce the launch of the VME (Town, Mobility, Energy) project aimed at optimizing the energy consumption of urban electric vehicles. The project, coordinated by Vu Log, is receiving the backing of the ADEME demonstrator funds.

Containing 50% of the world’s population, towns and cities are central to the combat against greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) from the transport sector. More than half of all journeys in urban areas are of less than 5 kilometers, meaning that local mobility has a significant role to play in terms of reducing emissions. The first crucial step consists in gaining a thorough understanding of energy consumption and mapping it as accurately as possible.

To this end, VME is using a demonstration program being conducted in 2 pilot towns: a fleet of a dozen electric vehicles will be made available on a self-service basis in each of the 3 partner towns.

In order to maximize the energy efficiency – and hence the range - of these demonstration vehicles, two measures will be implemented:

• The development of an onboard energy supervisor that will take into account all the sustainable development objectives associated with urban transport: energy, pollution, transport economy (journey time, congestion, etc.),
• the drawing up of energy maps to provide an accurate picture of the energy consumed during the course of short journeys.

Christian Estrosi, Minister for Industry, Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Côte d’Azur explains: "I’m committed to a long-term policy aimed at making Nice a model city in terms of sustainable development, so that ultimately Nice can be recognized as a green Mediterranean city. This commitment involves increasing the number of innovative experiments and seeking new solutions associated with the increasing use of clean energy. The VME system at the heart of this pilot experiment rationalizes energy use and brings the essential economic dimension to this pollution reduction initiative".

Patrick Ollier, Chairman of the French National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee and Deputy-Mayor of Rueil-Malmaison explains his town’s involvement as follows: "In 2001, Rueil-Malmaison became a pilot town in the Hauts-de-Seine département in the field of sustainable development. In 2007, its agenda 21 was awarded a national label by the Ministry of the Environment. The following year, we received a Marianne d’Or environment and sustainable development award in recognition of an outstanding building project in the town. With the town council, I intend to continue the quest to find effective solutions to global environmental issues. To this end, I wanted Rueil-Malmaison to take part in the launch of the Town, Mobility, Energy project as a concrete implementation of the Grenelle de l’Environnement environment forum program. At the time, I conducted the debates in the National Assembly for the forum in my capacity as Chairman of the Economic, Environmental and Territorial Affairs Committee".*

According to Georges Gallais, President of VU Log: "Improving local mobility is the very essence of what VU Log is all about. Our cooperation with teams from IFP Energies nouvelles and the Centre de Cluny Arts et Métiers ParisTech is recognition of our expertise and experience in urban mobility software".

Philippe Pinchon, Director of IFP Energies nouvelles’s Powertrain Engineering Technology Business Unit says: "IFP Energies nouvelles is delighted to be involved in this communicating vehicle project designed to establish sustainable mobility in the urban environment. IFP brings its expertise in the development of innovative control strategies enabling the optimization of onboard energy use".

About VU Log
VU Log, a French company based in Antibes, is a pioneer in the field of urban mobility using electric vehicles. VU Log is currently the only company in Europe that offers local authorities, businesses and urban transport operators a range of software and hardware totally integrating self-service and vehicle-sharing solutions, for electric and IC vehicles, both 2-wheeled and 4-wheeled. A spin-off of INRIA laboratories in 2006 focusing on urban mobility, VU Log created the very first self-service vehicle site in Antibes in 2007. www.vulog.com www.citevu.com

About IFP Energies nouvelles
IFP Energies nouvelles is a public-sector research, industrial innovation and training center active in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. Its mission is to provide public players and industry with efficient, economical, clean and sustainable technologies to take up the challenges facing society in terms of climate change, energy diversification and water resource management.
www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com

About the Image Institute of the Centre Arts et Métiers ParisTech de Cluny
Arts et Métiers ParisTech is a prestigious higher education engineering school (4500 students, 20 research laboratories) distributed on the national territory in 8 centers and 3 institutes... His Institute Image develops methods and tools of the virtual dumping for the engineer through the formation, the research and the valuation. www.ensam.eu

* The city of Rueil-Malmaison received on June 17th, 2010 a special Distinction for the project VME in the category " Movement and transport " in the 14th Grand Prix of the Environment City and Territories of Ile-de-France.