The basic provisions of the "Subsidy Plan for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles" and the "Scheme of Withdrawal of Polluting Vehicles and the Granting of Incentives for Alternative, Low Emissions, Traffic Methods", which were approved yesterday by the Council of Ministers, were presented today by the Council of Ministers. Mr. Giannis Karousos, in the press conference held at the Presidential Palace.
"National Target is like in 2030 25% of new vehicle registrations to be electric with the ultimate goal of, by 2035 this percentage to increase to 100%," said Mr. Karousos.
Specifically, while 2021 electric vehicles have been registered in 250, it is expected that by the end of 2030 36.000 electric vehicles have been registered. Explaining the Plans, Mr. Karousos stated that they will last until the end of 2025 and are planned to be implemented in two phases.
The first phase will end at the end of 2023 and the second at the end of 2025. "The total amount of the sponsorship approved under the Cyprus Recovery and Sustainability Plan and is expected to be paid through this Plan and the projects that will follow is € 30.000.000. ".15.000.000 for the Subsidy Plan for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles, € 4.000.000 for the Plan for Withdrawal of Old Polluting Vehicles and € 1000 for the creation of XNUMX Recharge Stations in public accessible areas", said the Minister.
The Pollutant Vehicle Withdrawal Scheme and Incentive Scheme for Alternative, Low Emission Modes of Transportation, for which a total amount of sponsorships of up to 4.000.000 euros is provided for Phase A, concerns the sponsorship for the withdrawal of vehicles from traffic and:
(a) their replacement by new vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions (with a CO2 emission limit of 50 g / km), or (b) the purchase of an electric bicycle, or (c) the issuance of bus tickets.
Vehicles that can be withdrawn must be saloon or van or double cab, registered in Cyprus for the last seven consecutive years and their date of manufacture must be over twelve years. The vehicle must also have a valid registration certificate or be registered as immobilized with a valid registration certificate within the last eighteen months and not have a canceled registration on the day the applications start.
The amounts that will be allocated for the purpose of withdrawing an old vehicle and replacing it with a new vehicle range from € 7.500 to € 12.000.
Specifically, for the withdrawal and replacement with a new private vehicle with emission mass ≤50 gr / km - CO2 the subsidy amounts to € 7.500, for the withdrawal and replacement with a new taxi vehicle with emission mass ≤50 gr / km - CO2 the subsidy amounts to € 12.000, for the withdrawal and replacement with a new wheelchair with emission mass ≤50 gr / km - CO2 the grant amounts to € 10.000 and for the withdrawal and replacement with a new vehicle of a large family with emission mass ≤50 gr / km - The CO2 subsidy amounts to € 10.000.
Regarding the withdrawal of an old vehicle and its replacement with a new electric bicycle, the subsidy amounts to € 1.000, while for the withdrawal of an old vehicle in exchange for the provision of free tickets for use on regular bus lines, the subsidy will amount to € 750.
The start date for submitting applications for the Withdrawal Plan is set to December 6, 2021 and will last until December 20, 2021.
The Subsidy Plan for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles, for which, for Phase A, A total amount of sponsorships of up to EUR 8.000.000 is provided for the sponsorship for the purchase of electric vehicles or the purchase of an electric bicycle (assisted cycling), in the form of an "ecological reward" for the purchase of zero carbon dioxide (pure) vehicles, simultaneous optional, subsidized withdrawal of old vehicles.
The amounts that will be allocated for the purchase of a new electric vehicle vary, from € 9.000 plus € 1.000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle, up to € 19.000 plus € 1.000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle. Specifically, for private vehicles will be provided a sponsorship of € 9.000 plus € 1.000 for simultaneous withdrawal, for taxis € 19.000 plus € 1.000 for simultaneous withdrawal, and for wheelchairs or vehicles with large families the grant will amount to € 11.000 plus € 1.000 for withdrawal of an old vehicle.
The option of subsidizing a used electric vehicle will also be provided and for this purpose the amounts that will be allocated range from € 4.000 plus € 1.000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle, to € 12.000 plus € 1.000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle. While for the purchase of a new vehicle that will be used as a taxi the subsidy will amount to € 19.000 plus € 1.000 with simultaneous withdrawal, the professionals will also be able to subsidize the purchase of a used electric taxi vehicle in the amount of € 12.000 plus € 1.000 with simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle.
The subsidy for the purchase of a used electric vehicle for use by a large family or by the disabled amounts to € 7.000 plus € 1.000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle.
The Purchase Plan also provides for the following: the purchase of a new electric minibus with an amount of € 100.000, the purchase of a new electric minibus with an amount of € 40.000, the purchase of a new electric commercial vehicle with an amount of € 20.000 , as well as the purchase of a new electric bicycle or four-wheeled micro-car, or moped, or tricycle, or motorcycle or light four-wheeled vehicle.
The start date for submitting applications for the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme is December 20, 2021 and will last until January 3, 2022. For this Plan, the "Priority" method will be followed.
Finally, it is pointed out that in the context of promoting electric mobility in taxis, the Licensing Authority will proceed with a procedure for issuing new Road Use Licenses (AOX). Specifically, for each of the six urban traffic areas, two (2) new Road Use Permits will be issued for purely electric vehicles. At the same time, new taxi parking lots will be designated (taxi ranks), where only purely electric taxis and low-emission taxis (with a CO2 emission limit of 50g / km) will be able to park. The twelve (12) new licensees that will receive the Road Use Licenses will have the sponsorship for the purchase of electric taxi. Regarding the new electric taxis the sponsorship amounts to € 20.000 and to the used electric taxis the sponsorship amounts to € 13.000.
The mentioned Plans will be combined with the revised “Sponsorship Plan for the installation of a photovoltaic system for the charging of an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle” which is expected to be announced soon by the Renewable Energy Fund (APE) and Exo. .Ε). This Plan will be addressed to natural persons, who are not engaged in economic activity, who will be offered a significant amount of sponsorship for the installation in their home of the charging infrastructure of the electric vehicle from renewable sources (photovoltaic system, smart meter and charger). Consequently, persons who will receive final approval to purchase a purely electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid under the said Schemes will also be able to benefit from the Renewable Energy and Renewable Energy Fund Sponsorship Scheme. Energy, thus significantly reducing the cost of using the vehicle.
Mr. Karousos invited all those who are interested to be informed and all those who want to submit applications for the specific Plans such as visiting the website http://www.ev.gov.cy which has been created especially for this purpose.
Enumerating some of the multiple benefits that electric mobility can bring to our daily lives, Mr. Karousos noted the reduction of pollutants, low charging costs, poor vehicle maintenance, free parking in uncontrolled municipal parking lots and the absence of any concerning the marketing authorization.
Mr. Karousos also pointed out that these projects can be considered as the most comprehensive, attractive and ambitious projects at European Union level. "The Plans," said the Minister, "can be used by everyone, namely individuals, professionals and legal entities as they cover the subsidy for the purchase of new and used vehicles, as well as the grant for alternative modes of transport such as buses." and electric bicycles ".
"Our goal is the transition to green transport and sustainable mobility and therefore the Planning of various Actions, such as the Framework for the Promotion of Electricity, as well as the Sustainable Mobility Promotion Plans, are at the heart of the Ministry of Transport's goals. and Projects to achieve the Green Policy and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions "said Mr. Karousos. "Green and sustainable transport and the environment in general are now in the DNA of the Ministry. "Cyprus is moving forward, it is moving electrically", the Minister concluded emphatically.