Filenews 22 January 2022 - by Vassos Vassiliou
Companies, Local Authorities, supermarkets, owners of parking spaces and other interested parties will be able, in a relatively short period of time, to apply for the creation of 1,000 Vehicle Recharging Stations and take part from the €4 million pie which will be made available for this purpose.
A state official with whom we contacted, was asked by "F" "how it would be ensured that some people will not rush to submit a large number of applications to take advantage not only of the sponsorship but also of the future need that will be created by the increase in the number of electric vehicles", said that obviously a roof will be set, so as not to observe monopolistic phenomena.
Regarding the geographical distribution of the points, the same officer said that he understands that all the cities of Cyprus will be covered. Observing that in a city it is possible that the number of points is disproportionate in some areas, he said that this is an issue that will be examined on time and if it appears that this trend does exist, a uniform geographical distribution of the points may be decided.
Regarding the cost of installing the points, he said that this obviously depends on how soon a vehicle can be charged, although as he said, for fast charging of half to one hour vehicles, each point can cost the person concerned between €40,000 - €70,000.
The same official said that before tenders are announced, various stakeholders will be consulted in order to hear all positions and opinions, which will help make the most effective decisions.
Bids are expected to be launched between April and June. According to estimates by the Ministry of Transport, as expressed by the Minister of Transport, Yiannis Karousos, by 2030 about 36,000 electric vehicles will be registered. According to him, by then, a national target is that 25% of the total vehicle registrations should be for electric vehicles. An increase of 50% per year will also be sought, so that by 2035 the vast majority of vehicles registered will be electric. The minister said that after 2025, when there will be more mass production, the number of electric cars on the roads of Cyprus is expected to increase significantly.
One of the reasons why electric vehicles are promoted is also due to the fact that 50% of pollutants come from transport.
In addition to €4 million that will be allocated for the installation of 1,000 charging points, for the promotion of electric vehicles will be made available through the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan and other actions, of approximately €30 million. Among other things, it is planned to allocate €15 million. for the Old Polluting Vehicle Withdrawal Plan.
The Plans have a deadline for implementation by 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 grant approved under the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan and the plans that will follow is €30,000,000 for the Grant Scheme for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles, €15,000,000 for the Old Polluting Vehicle Withdrawal Plan and €4,000,000 for the creation of 1,000 Recharging Stations in publicly accessible places.
Especially the Withdrawal Plan for Polluting Vehicles, provides that these must be of the saloon or van or van category or double-cab, have been registered in Cyprus for the last seven consecutive years and their construction date must be more than twelve years old.
Grant scheme for electric vehicles
The Grant Scheme for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles for Phase A, provides for a total amount of sponsorships up to € 8 million. and concerns the sponsorship of the purchase of electric vehicles or the purchase of an electric bicycle (assisted pedalling), in the form of an "ecological reward" for the purchase of zero-carbon vehicles (pure electric vehicles), with a simultaneous optional, subsidised withdrawal of old vehicles.
The amounts that will be allocated for the purchase of a new electric vehicle range from €9,000 (plus €1,000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle) to €19,000 (plus €1,000 with the simultaneous withdrawal of an old vehicle). Specifically, for private vehicles a grant of €9,000 plus €1,000 will be provided for simultaneous withdrawal, for taxis €19,000 plus €1,000 for simultaneous withdrawal, and for wheelchairs or vehicles with many children the grant will be €11,000 plus €1,000 for the withdrawal of an old vehicle.
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.
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 against the provision of free tickets for use on regular bus services, the subsidy will be €750.
