New electromobility initiatives will receive €25 million

The Ministry of Transport has set aside around €25 million for 2025 to encourage the construction of charging infrastructure, the purchase of new electric vehicles, and the disposal of outdated automobiles in an effort to promote environmentally friendly transportation. When Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades presented the Ministry's budget for the next year to the Parliamentary Finance Committee, he described this plan.

Breakdown of the funding plan

As part of a larger €38 million budget, Minister Vafeades described a number of initiatives, including a grant scheme for the purchase of electric vehicles that will allot €15 million in 2025. An additional €7 million has been allocated for a scrappage program that will replace vehicles with high emissions and promote transportation options with lower emissions. Ten rapid recharging stations will also be installed in public locations, such as parking lots, hospitals, and other public sector locations, for €1.04 million. An additional €1.5 million has been set aside to fund a subsidy scheme that will create 1,000 charging stations that are open to the general public, enterprises, and local government agencies.

Growing use of electric vehicles

According to Vafeades, the number of electric car registrations has increased significantly. The number of registered electric vehicles increased steadily from 995 in 2023, 512 in 2022, 120 in 2021, and only 78 in 2020 to 1,107 in August 2024. Along with passenger automobiles, 20 commercial vehicles, one bus, and 569 electric motorbikes and mopeds were registered in 2024. In 2023, the fleet was notably expanded to include 20 electric buses.

Past electromobility efforts and funding

The Ministry set aside €11.5 million in 2024 and €8 million in 2022 and 2023 to support the shift to electric vehicles. In 2022 and 2023, €4 million and €6 million, respectively, were allocated for scrappage initiatives alone.

Public sector’s role in supporting EV adoption

Highlighting efforts to encourage electric vehicle use in the public sector, Vafeades noted that the government has integrated several key investments into the Recovery and Resilience Plan:

• Acquisition of 100 electric vehicles for public sector needs, with 40 vehicles delivered in 2023 and 60 currently being distributed in 2024.
• A subsidy program to support the installation of 1,000 public charging points, available to businesses and local authorities. Since the program's start in November 2022, over 500 charging points have been proposed across two application phases, with 262 agreements signed in Phase A.
• The establishment of ten rapid charging stations at government facilities, including hospitals and museums.

In 2025, the Department will continue overseeing studies, contracting, and supervision of new electromechanical projects, as well as maintaining and upgrading equipment, vehicles, and public infrastructure to streamline operational costs.

This latest funding initiative underscores the Ministry’s commitment to promoting cleaner transportation, with a strategic focus on reducing emissions and modernizing infrastructure across the country.