Although international air travelers may wish that Iceland’s infamous Eyjafjallajokull volcano put its ash somewhere else, the underlying geographic conditions belching super-heated gases from below are assisting with a global push toward wider implementation of electric vehicles and subsequent independence from petroleum.

Eyjafjallajokul (pronounced “AYA feeyapla yurkul” or “the volcano in Iceland”) and the hardy island nation’s tourist-attracting geysers and hot springs serve as highly visual reminders that pollution-free electricity literally spews from the ground in the form of steam-driven geothermal generators.

“Iceland is unique in the sense that the country’s usage of energy is already 80 percent sustainable,” reports Pétur Albert Haraldsson, executive chairman of Driving Sustainability, which produces the annual Energy Solutions for Transport conference in the capital city of Reykjavík.

“Removing fossil fuel vehicles from the roads would make Iceland’s energy usage 98 percent sustainable and therefore the most sustainable country in the world,” says Haraldsson, who became an “ash refugee” himself when a two-day trip to Rome erupted into a two-week odyssey of waiting in airports.
 
Plug-in i-MiEVs (the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) are beginning to come ashore in connection with a nationwide testing program – a collaborate effort between the Icelandic government and the Japanese OEM – focusing on an auto service infrastructure featuring a network of handy charging stations.

High on the agenda of this year’s Sept. 16-17 Driving Sustainability event are discussions highlighting the practicality of exporting ongoing EV enhancements in a cost-effective manner.

“This is indeed our mission and our role,” Haraldsson tells Aftermarket Business: “To help cities take meaningful and decisive steps towards the transition into low-carbon, sustainable transport systems. We’ll be looking at the technologies and how to finance them for other cities – and build a strong task force.”

He goes on to point out that “we have been opinion leaders and we’ve managed to affect change” through hosting a series of international conferences and a pattern of assertive outreach to corporate leaders, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, government officials and assorted visionaries.

“It’s a revamping of our focus from being here in Reykjavík to international (applications), using Reykjavík as a showcase,” says Haraldsson. “We are hoping to see some movers and shakers in infrastructure investment attend our next event.”

Driving Sustainability is among the co-founders of SMART, a multinational consortium supported by the European Commission designed to identify and secure funding for worthy alternative auto projects.

“The next step should be to start implementing change that will result in oil independence,” declares Haraldsson, noting that metropolitan regions need to embrace long-term planning while initiating near-term action to get started.

“The global conclusion we at Driving Sustainability draw from our showcase in Reykjavík is that city leaders need to think timeframes of decades, listen for the lifestyle people aspire to and envision mobility in 10, 20 or 30 years,” he explains.

“It’s all about common sense and the removal of man-made barriers to change resulting from short-term thinking,” says Haraldsson. “We need to understand that with currently available technologies cities can actually be pollution-free, pleasant and green habitats where commuting is a pleasant experience; why should we then settle for polluting, inefficient mobility based on old technology?”

Going with the flow
Eyjafjallajokul’s erupting plume has Iceland’s 300,000 residents – the country’s about the size of Virginia, located some 2,600 miles from the U.S. – calling upon their tough Viking ancestry and reserved manner to take the volcano in stride.

The fallout is especially troubling to ranchers and growers in the nearby “black zone” as it threatens livestock and covers feed crops in a coating of ash. Taking stock of the spirit of cooperation that’s been necessary for centuries amid a harsh landscape, a “hay bank” has been established to save the animals.

“The situation is generally good regarding hay supplies,” reports the Iceland Review, which has been on top of the story. “However, sheep farmers are clearly facing many problems and people have grown tired and are experiencing mood swings. Ash fall days make people feel exhausted, but their mood improves in between the spells of ash.”

As you might imagine, automotive service and parts providers are experiencing increased demand for body appearance products and certain engine maintenance components.

“Vehicle performance,” says Haraldsson, “is not directly affected – although air filters need to be monitored for clogging in the immediate area where cars are covered in ash and ash on the roads is whirled up by traffic.”

He goes on to note that “economically this is devastating for an already hard-hit economy. The tourism season may or may not attract more travelers due to the spectacle; this is as unpredictable as the eruption itself.”