Teitur Torkelsson

What do you expect to be the main issues under discussion at the Sept. 13-14 Driving Sustainability international conference in Iceland?

The near-term potential of electricity and biofuels for powering cars, trucks and buses along with the right policies and co-operation of different players to implement this system change in an urban setting is how I would describe the focus this year. We will be using a lot of examples of technologies and policies that are working well in the Nordic countries and many of our participants will be from this region, but also from the USA, Japan and Europe. Right now, biogas is a big untapped resource as a transportation fuel, as it is being produced economically from sewage and landfills, and the cars and buses are already running and saving their owners money. Such biogas production is a great way to make cities and communities more sustainable. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs are fast becoming a money saving option, especially if accompanied with financial incentives from governments and business models that spread the extra cost of the still expensive batteries over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Driving Sustainability is not only about clean cars or clean fuels, but more about integrating all the factors needed for system change and tangible steps towards sustainable mobility. It's about showing the way forward. Technology is only one piece of the puzzle. We add the sharing of policy ideas for companies, municipal and state leadership, urban planning and behavioral change with a good deal of inspiration. At this event you personally experience the production of clean power for transport through short field trips, get to hear about the latest trends in the increased use of biogas and electricity, test drive new vehicles and participate in creating new solutions. It's a multi-industry meeting point with a lot of different people with entrepreneurial, technical, academic, industrial and political backgrounds. Implementation of sustainable mobility solutions requires that all these sectors work together and that some action is taken. We have talking heads, but also serious networking and real steps forward.

How important is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicle testing program to Iceland's goal of reducing its purchases of imported fuel?

The MiEV testing formally starting in the fall of 2009 will quite quickly determine the actual range, cost-savings and feasibility of electric cars becoming, let's say, 50 percent of the country's fleet by 2020. The general public here seems to be very eager for this change, but it's all about the money in the end. The weather here is very unstable, temperatures jump up and down, winters can be long, cold and dark and the law requires cars to be driven with their headlights on 24/7. So I can promise a very real life testing of these cars in tough conditions. Electrification of the transport sector is a huge opportunity for Iceland with all its clean energy resources. Just imagine what it would mean for America if 50 percent of its imported oil would be replaced with domestic renewable energy within a decade. It's a revolution in terms of energy security, economic savings and environmental stewardship. The next ten years will also see a dramatic increase in fuel efficiency of internal combustion engine cars. There are three steps left for Iceland to become the first 100 percent sustainable energy society in the world: Ships, planes and automobiles. The MiEV testing and to find the right financial incentives for EVs is an important part of the first step.