The idea of forming an association came up time and again over the years, but was always rejected. In 2025, we decided to establish a non-profit association. After several months of preparation, drafting bylaws, and the usual bureaucratic process, we have been an officially registered association since May 2026. This gives us a solid legal foundation and the ability to properly manage donations and revenue from an accounting standpoint.

Our stated purpose is to promote public transportation and sustainable mobility through digital projects, open data and interfaces, as well as community engagement. Right now, that means one thing in practice: keeping Träwelling running and covering its server costs. In the long run, though, we would like to do much more: support other projects, promote open data, and actively contribute to sustainable mobility. Our bylaws (https://codeberg.org/traewelling/ev-satzung)

All the club names we had considered were either not distinctive enough or already registered as trademarks. Träwelling is a name that has been established for over ten years and is already familiar to many. Even though the association does not exist solely to support the project, it is an essential part of our identity to date, and we are thus carrying that forward.

For now, all revenue goes toward running Träwelling. In the long run, and in line with our stated purpose, we would like to support other projects and initiatives as well. To keep things transparent, we intend to publish our financial situation on this page at regular intervals.

Technically, yes. But we want to be upfront: we primarily founded the association to give our core project Träwelling a legal entity. In the past, we were frequently asked whether it was possible to support us financially, which we had always declined, as we lacked a proper accounting structure to do so responsibly. With the association in place, we can now accept donations in a transparent and financially sound way. As a member, you would not have any particular advantages, and a growing membership brings administrative overhead that we would rather keep to a minimum.