Castelo Novo is one of the villages in the Municipality of Fundão, located in the heart of Portugal. It is part of the Network of 12 Historical Villages of Portugal (Aldeias Históricas de Portugal), committed to sustainable tourism and a 45% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030. The Network led by a non-profit association (Aldeias Históricas de Portugal – Associação de Desenvolvimento Turístico) has developed a Common Strategic Framework integrating seven different areas of action, including mobility.
In 2022, the Network of Historical Villages of Portugal launched an “Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Mobility” project in partnership with the Municipality of Fundão and Renault Portugal. It’s a pioneering free sustainable mobility service, providing tourists, residents, or companies with a fleet of five electric Renault vehicles loaned by Renault Portugal. The cars depart from Castelo Novo or the train stations of Castelo Novo, Alpedrinha, and Fundão. The service addresses the lack of good public transport connections between the village of Castelo Novo, the nearest train stations, and larger urban centres or other historical villages in the Network.
Since the introduction of the service, visitors and locals can book a car through the Tourist Office in Castelo Novo or online. It is also possible to request a transfer to or from one of the nearest train stations, boosting multimodal transportation in the region and ensuring convenient access to sustainable mobility options. Users can book a car for up to three days, enabling visitors to spend more time in the area and travel between the historical villages in an environmentally friendly way.
The initiative has shown remarkable results. The car usage is continuously monitored on a monthly basis. Between April 2022 and December 2024, the cars have been booked 2,405 times: 1,076 times (44.8 %) by residents, 963 times (40 %) by visitors, and 366 times (15.2 %) by companies. They were used to travel 169,303 km and reduce more than 2.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The project has also gained national and international recognition. It was awarded the Global Mobi Awards Prio Award for Companies/Organisations in 2022, an initiative that recognises the best initiatives in smart mobility in Portugal, and shortlisted as a finalist of the Better World Tourism Project for BGTW International Tourism Awards 2024.
What were the key drivers supporting the implementation?
- Commitment to sustainability: The Municipality of Fundão and the Network of Historical Villages of Portugal have integrated long-term commitment to sustainability and climate neutrality in their strategic frameworks, driving innovation in key areas like mobility. In fact, the Municipality of Fundão has incorporated sustainable mobility into its strategic vision for 2030 through the development of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP). Furthermore, it is part of the Beiras and Serra da Estrela Intermunicipal Community (CIMBSE), which has also prepared a Sustainable Urban Mobility Action Plan (Plano de Ação de Mobilidade Urbana Sustentável - PAMUS). Ensuring better sustainable transport connections between the municipal urban centre (town of Fundão) and low-density areas is an ongoing challenge the municipality is committed to solving.
- Collaboration: The public-private partnership between the Municipality of Fundão, the Network of Historical Villages of Portugal (NGO), and Renault Portugal was crucial for implementing the sustainable urban mobility solution. From the outset, Renault Portugal showed strong support, recognising the opportunity to reshape perceptions of electric mobility and test a new model for sustainable transportation in low-density areas. The partnership was formalised through an agreement between all key stakeholders: the Municipality of Fundão, the Historical Villages of Portugal, and Renault Portugal.
- Social responsibility: The “Inclusive and Sustainable Mobility Project” enables not only sustainable travel options for visitors but also addresses the needs of local communities, e.g., on certain days, the cars are used solely to service the locals by providing transfer to the local urban centres or deliver community meals to senior citizens. Moreover, the project aims to put users first, providing them with cheaper, more accessible, and green alternatives for transportation.
What were the challenges and barriers?
- Technical infrastructure: The successful implementation of the initiative also demanded the installation of charging stations in all Historical Villages of Portugal, requiring additional funding. Currently, there’s an initiative underway as part of a larger project aimed at transforming mobility both within and beyond the Historical Villages of Portugal. The plan includes installing charging stations with varying charging speeds to support different needs. The Network aims to secure funding from Turismo de Portugal to help bring this project to life.
- Car maintenance & responsible usage: As the service is currently free, ensuring responsible usage has been difficult. Despite ongoing efforts to monitor and regulate car usage, some were not handled correctly. In several cases, restoring the vehicles to operational condition required repairs at an official Renault Portugal garage, resulting in significant costs for the company. Therefore, the Network is considering transitioning to a true rent-a-car model (only for tourists). Implementing a paid system would encourage users to take greater responsibility for the vehicles, promoting proper usage.
- Upscaling: Due to the limited number of cars (only five), it has not been possible to expand the project to other Historical Villages of Portugal.
Potential for replication & lessons learned
The mobility solution has shown positive results in the village of Castelo Novo and the Municipality of Fundão. Therefore, the ambition of the Network of Historical Villages of Portugal is to replicate it in other historical villages to scale up the sustainable mobility opportunities in the region. It can also serve as a model for sustainable transportation in other low-density areas where the provision of regular public transport services might be too costly and inefficient.
Although the initiative in Castelo Novo provides a free service for locals and tourists alike, it is advised that a paid system model be implemented exclusively for tourists. This approach would encourage responsible car usage, as users tend to be more mindful when they have a financial commitment. When there is a cost associated with the service, people are more likely to respect the vehicles and appreciate the project’s value.