What would make you give up your car?

Nicola Sznajder/Flickr http://h.swissin.fo/PMTG302nS2S

Thousands of people drive across the border from France, Germany and Italy to Switzerland every day for work. One company wants to see if they can make their staff commute in a more environmentally-friendly way.

More than 34,000 people alone commute specifically from Lörrach and Waldshut, two areas in Germany close to the northern Swiss border, on a daily basis. And some of them are heading to work at ABB. The company found out from an employee survey that 80% of their staff who commute do so in a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle, and they come alone.

ABB is working with partners from academic institutions and politics on a small pilot project to see if loaning electric cars can make any difference to how their staff get to work. It’s also about setting an example for other companies, to help them encourage their employees to think about emissions when they travel to the office.

Five BMW i3 cars are being loaned for 12 months, and one is also being used as a pool car for employee business trips. The cars can be recharged for free at the ABB offices in four Swiss locations close to the border.

What would your company have to do to get you to use an electric car to get to work? Free recharging? Loan you a car? Some other form of subsidy?

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