A Finnish first – Vaasa’s city leaders offer electric car rides to residents

Behind the wheel will be Mayor Tomas Häyry, Chair of the City Council Frans Villanen and Chair of the City Board Jasmin Granholm. Other chauffeurs will include Director of Education Christina Knookala, Director of Finance and Strategy Cecilia Raunio, Director of Communications and Marketing Leena Forsén, Director of the Urban Environment Department Markku Järvelä and Director of Human Resources Tuulikki Kruhse-Poutanen. 

The aim of the campaign is to bring decision-makers closer to residents in the spirit of sustainable mobility.

– We wish to offer the people of Vaasa a fun and unique way to meet decision-makers and exchange ideas face to face. At the same time, our passengers will have the chance to explore electric driving and get to know the Mini-Lifti cars, says Mayor Tomas Häyry.  

A free ride-along and complimentary driving time 

Rides depart from outside Vaasa City Hall and take approximately 15–20 minutes. There are two route options to choose from, but passengers may also suggest their own route within Vaasa city centre.  Each ride can accommodate 1 to 3 people from the same group, and is reserved for one group at a time. To join the ride, residents must reserve a place in advance. 

Joining a ride with city leaders is free of charge, and participants will also receive complimentary driving time in Mini-Lifti cars. The Mini-Liftis are fully electric cars shared by the people of Vaasa. On weekdays, they are used by city employees for work-related travel, but in the evenings and at weekends they are freely available for anyone to rent. 

Vaasa promotes more sustainable mobility

Vaasa, winner of the EU’s prestigious Green Leaf 2026 environmental award, wants to be carbon neutral by the end of the 2020s. Traffic is a major source of emissions, which Vaasa is working to reduce by promoting public transport, cycling and other sustainable modes of mobility.  

Encouraging car sharing and the use of electric vehicles also helps reduce traffic emissions. The ‘Leadership Ride-Along’ aims to inspire residents to try shared electric cars and consider whether they could make their own private car use more sustainable.  

– Here in the Nordic Energy Capital, electric mobility comes naturally to us. Energy is also created through human connection. Both help drive Vaasa forward, says Mayor Häyry. 

Vaasa is a European Green Leaf City for 2026. The European Commission awards this recognition annually to cities that promote sustainable development and work actively to protect the environment and climate.