(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 09 NOV - ROME, NOVEMBER 09 - The Greek government and Volkswagen have signed an agreement to test a zero-emission mobility project on the small island of Stampalia: only electric vehicles will circulate on the island, powered by energy produced locally from renewable sources. Stampalia, 97 square km, is part of the Dodecanese, an Italian colony until the Second World War. It has 1,300 residents and records about 72,000 tourists a year.

During the six-year-long agreement, Volkswagen will replace the approximately 1,500 combustion engine vehicles that run on the island with thousands of electric vehicles: buses, police vehicles, ambulances, delivery vans, scooters, and cars for pooling.

The German company will also install 230 charging stations. The electricity to power these vehicles will come mainly from renewable sources on the island, wind, and photovoltaic. The final goal is to make Stampalia a zero-emission island, testing how it is possible to achieve this result and what difficulties must be dealt with and overcome. (ANSA).