הלוואת ה-EIB תסמן את אבן היסוד של פריסת 1,400 כלי רכב חשמליים (EVs) עבור פעילות הנסיעות של החברה בספרד, ותשתיות דיגיטליות הקשורות לטעינת EV (EVC). ההשקעה תורמת למטרות האיחוד האירופי, לרבות - הפסקת מכוניות פולטות CO2 בהדרגה בתחבורה עירונית, קידום מעבר אופניים למצבים בני קיימא יותר כדי להפחית את העומס והזיהום בערים, ויישום חקיקה של האיחוד האירופי בנושא איכות אוויר.
יתרה מכך, הפרויקט צפוי להניב חיסכון ממוצע בפליטת CO9 של 2 קראט בשנה, במהלך תקופת הערכת הפרויקט כתוצאה מהחלפת מכוניות קונבנציונליות הפועלות על דלקים מאובנים במכוניות חשמליות אפס פליטת צנרת.
ההסכם נחתם במדריד על ידי אלסנדרו איזו, מנהל אקוויטי, הון צמיחה ופרויקטים פיננסיים ב-EIB וחואן דה אנטוניו, מנכ"ל Cabify.
Ricardo Mourinho Félix, European Investment Bank Vice-President said: “Sustainable transport investment means greener infrastructure for a future without fossil fuels. The EIB loan plays a role in supporting Cabify to achieve its decarbonisation target in Spain, as it targets a zero-emission fleet by 2025 in Spain. The EIB is pleased to extend financing to Cabify to decarbonise urban transport via the electrification of car fleets for ride-hailing services in Spain.”
Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “With this loan, we are supporting Cabify as it deploys 1,400 electric vehicles and the accompanying charging infrastructure. Every forward-looking initiative like this counts as we work towards our Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy milestone of having at least 30 million zero-emission cars on our roads by 2030. With this date approaching rapidly, we remain very much committed to accelerating the transition towards sustainable mobility.”
Juan de Antonio, CEO of Cabify said: “At Cabify, we are committed to accelerating the green transition in urban mobility in every market we operate. This is our core, making cities better places to live, and sustainable mobility is key for that to happen. The decarbonization of our fleet in Spain plays a central role in this commitment, and the European Investment Bank’s support proves this progress’s strategic impact”.
Cabify operates its ride-hailing service using its digital platform and mobile application, which matches demand for trips with supply of for-hire vehicles. Via the mobile app, users can also reach their driver and receive details about waiting queue and trip distance, duration and exact costs of the trip.
The next milestone for the project, which is already in motion, will be in Q1/2023 with a call for tenders for acquiring vehicles and deploying the charging infrastructure. Cabify will look for zero-emission cars with an operating range of over 400 km and technical characteristics and sizes suitable for passenger transport. The company will look for fast chargers with its dedicated infrastructure for the recharging process.
The aim of the project is for Cabify to achieve the objectives set in its Sustainable Business Strategy in terms of decarbonization, which targets that all trips made on the Spanish platform will be in zero-emission vehicles in Spain by 2025 and worldwide by 2030.
EIB support for sustainable transport
The EIB is also investing in the automotive industries and in the necessary charging infrastructure to improve the supply of emission-free urban mobility in the cities where Cabify operates in Spain.
In 2016, the European Investment Bank and the European Commission launched the Cleaner Transport Facility, which aims to promote cleaner transport vehicles and create crucial infrastructure like charging and refuelling facilities. Under the facility, the Bank financed 15 000 electric and hybrid vehicles in several European countries, cleaner buses in France and the Netherlands, and funded the construction of thousands of charging stations for electric vehicles in Italy, Spain and Slovakia.
The European Investment Bank also finances individual projects pushing for greener, safer, and more accessible transport around the world. The Bank has supported the integration and decarbonisation of transport in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
EIB Advisory Services identified and sourced Cabify as a highly innovative company in the mobility sector. In addition, Cabify benefited from Advisory Services support to prepare the application process for EIB financing.
Contribution to EU sustainable objectives
Innovative shared mobility services play a key role in resolving urban mobility challenges. The development of new technologies has been a key enabler for the development over the past decade of a variety of innovative shared mobility services. Digital technologies in particular, relying on real-time data, make it possible and effective to match travel demands with different transport options with respect to travellers’ preferences in seconds using optimisation tools, data science and artificial intelligence.
The Cabify project contributes to a modal shift towards more sustainable modes for reducing congestion and pollution in cities (2016 EU Low-Emission Mobility Strategy, 2019 European Green Deal, 2020 Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy) and the implementation of EU legislation on air quality (Directive 2008/50/EC) by reducing urban transport related air pollution.
The EIB loan supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 13 “Climate action”, SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” and SDG 3 “Good health and well-being”.
