E-cars: Mobility and Raiffeisen move forward together

You’ve probably heard by now: in order to protect the environment, Mobility plans to offer electric cars only by 2030. The biggest hurdle to overcome here is the charging infrastructure. So we’re very pleased to have found another new partner on our path towards carbon-neutral mobility – namely Raiffeisen. All Raiffeisen bank branches nationwide now have the option of placing Mobility electric cars at their branches. It's a unique opportunity, says Mobility Managing Director Roland Lötscher: “This will enable us to expand our charging network more quickly – giving us access to well-situated locations in the city and out in the country. That will benefit our customers.”

One powerful argument in favour of cooperation between the companies is their legal status: both are cooperatives. A cooperative focuses on helping people to help themselves – or simply put, it seeks to achieve things collectively that people are not able to achieve on their own. The idea of the cooperative is deeply rooted in Swiss culture. Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen is considered a pioneer in the field of finance. He accepted savings from the “common people”, giving affordable loans in return. In the 19th century, this was tantamount to a revolution: other banks didn’t want to have anything to do with farmers or tradesmen. Meanwhile, Mobility is a global pioneer of car sharing, having launched the idea over thirty years ago. The key point here is that a cooperative is not about maximising profits: it ploughs back any surplus into the enterprise, thereby benefiting its customers. What is more, members have a significant say in decisions.

Mobility’s offer to Raiffeisen is simple – and each local Raiffeisen branch can decide for itself whether it wishes to join the scheme. In order to have one or more e-vehicles stationed at a branch, all the bank needs to do is provide parking and contribute to the annual operating costs. Mobility takes care of everything else – including the charging station and vehicle procurement. Several Raiffeisen banks have already expressed an interest, including Raiffeisenbank Freiburg Ost, which will be making its first e-vehicle available as of the end of January. “This partnership underscores our cooperative values, enabling us to provide sustainable, direct added value for our region,” stresses Nathalie Sahli, chair of the bank’s board of management.