Ever Monaco’s 20th edition opened on October 15th with sessions examining how extreme-condition testing and urban infrastructure development are advancing electric mobility. The forum has been held annually in Monaco and is focusing on renewable energy and sustainable transport.
The two-day event runs until Thursday evening, when winners of a start-up competition with €20,000 in prizes will be announced.
Desert racing tests electric limits
The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc, a women-only off-road rally held annually in Morocco, shared how desert racing has contributed to electric vehicle development. The rally introduced an electric vehicle category in 2017 and is ISO 14001 certified for environmental management.
Dominique Serra, founder and director of the rally, speaking to Monaco Life, explained the technical challenges faced in extreme conditions.
“When we set up the electric category, we had to make improvements to the vehicles for batteries, cooling and kilometre optimisation,” she said. “We’ve been able to provide information so that we can work more sustainably and concretely on vehicles in the city.”
The rally initially created a separate electric route due to range constraints. “We didn’t have charging points all along the desert,” Serra said. “Battery optimisation was very important because you had to check that you were taking the most direct route possible to save your battery.”
However, retrofit technology has changed the picture. “For two years now, we’ve integrated retrofit vehicles into the race and the four-wheel-drive category,” she said. “It’s been a real performance and success.”
Serra, though, was clear about current limitations. “We hope to have 100% electric four-wheel-drives. It’s not quite ready yet, because the manufacturers aren’t quite there.”
She also noted what she sees as different approaches to sustainable technology. “Women are more pragmatic,” she said. “Women don’t just look for power and speed, they also look for what they can do in terms of use and relevance of use.”
Monaco’s electric infrastructure
SMEG, Monaco’s electricity and gas company which has operated in Monaco for over 133 years, outlined its electric mobility services at the event. David Passini, a sales representative at the company, explained that the Mobee car-sharing system now runs approximately 80 vehicles available to both Monaco residents and visitors.
The service includes Renault Twizys for journeys within Monaco and neighbouring towns like Cap d’Ail, Beausoleil and Roquebrune, while Smart and Tesla Model 3 vehicles allow users to travel freely across the PACA region in France and into the Italian regions of Liguria and Piemonte.
On electricity sourcing, Passini told Monaco Life: “Any electric contract up to 36 KVA has 100% green electricity guaranteed in the contract.” The 36 KVA threshold covers most standard residential properties in Monaco.
Wednesday’s session included a morning conference on luxury sector corporate social responsibility, while the afternoon’s conference focused on future energy and vehicles.
Fifteen start-ups pitched throughout the day, competing for prizes from a €20,000 pool including an €8,000 first prize. The companies are developing technologies ranging from CO₂ conversion systems to mobile solar stations and electric foil boats.
Technical roundtables ran in the late afternoon, examining electric vehicle deployment challenges, charging infrastructure rollout, and the role of alternative fuels like hydrogen and bioGNV alongside electrification.
Thursday’s schedule
Thursday morning’s programme continued the technical roundtables on electromobility and renewable energy.
At 2pm, a conference on 20 years of mobility in Monaco will feature Bernard Fautrier, EVER’s honorary president, Deputy Mayor Marjorie Crovetto, SMEG’s Anthony Dupont, and Environment Minister Céline Caron Dagioni.
The start-up competition winners will be announced at 3:30.
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Main photo credit: Monaco Life.