Filenews 29 April 2025 - by Vasos Vassiliou
A drop in the ocean are the electric vehicles that are registered in relation to the number of those on the roads of Cyprus, even though a few years ago the cannula of sponsorships amounting to millions was opened.
It is noted that in the period 2020-2024, a total of 203,000 vehicles of all types were registered, of which only 4,859 were electric. Especially with regard to vehicle saloon registration, in the above period, out of a total of 159,078 vehicles, only 3,234 were electric.
As is well known, the reduction in sponsorships for the purchase of electric vehicles caused the reaction of the Association of Importers of Motor and Electric Vehicles (SEMIO). Members of the Association complained about the exhaustion of funds in a short period of time, the citizens being unable to take advantage of the incentives, and the importers not being able to dispose of the vehicles that had been imported.
If we take into account that in Cyprus there are more than 700,000 cars and about 61,000 motorcycles, then the numbers are overwhelming in relation to electric cars, with the situation presented as follows:
> In the year 2020, 270 electric vehicles were registered in relation to 39,367 of all types registered in total in the same year. Based on these data, electric vehicles were limited to 0.7%, i.e. they did not even reach 1% of the total.
Especially with regard to the saloon vehicles registered in the year 2020, they amounted to only 78 out of a total of 30,828 saloons registered, with the percentage (of electric ones) limited to 0.3%.
As far as motorcycles are concerned, in 2020 436 out of a total of 3,225 were registered. Their percentage fluctuated at 6%.
> In 2021, 308 electric vehicles were registered out of a total of 34,716 that had been registered in that year and concerned all vehicle categories. The percentage of electric vehicles was also smaller than the unit and was specifically limited to 0.9%. Especially with regard to saloons, 120 were registered in relation to 26,636 saloon vehicles that had been registered in total. As far as motorcycles are concerned, 431 out of a total of 3,549 were registered, with their percentage limited to 5%.
> In the year 2022, the number of electric vehicles registered more than doubles compared to 2021 and increases from 308 to 739 to a total of 33,795 registered in total. Their percentage also more than doubled to 2.2%.
As far as saloons are concerned, 512 electric vehicles were registered out of a total of 26,508. Based on these data, the percentage of electric vehicles reaches 1.9% compared to the saloons registered in the same year. As far as motorcycles are concerned, in the year 2022, 436 were registered compared to 2,842 registered in total, reaching 7% of the total.
> In the year 2023, for the first time, the number of electric vehicles registered exceeds 1,000 and specifically 1,322 are registered out of a total of 45,494 vehicles. The percentage of electric vehicles increases to 2.9%.
Especially with regard to vehicle saloon registrations, electric vehicles reach 995 out of a total of 36,608 registered in the same year and correspond to 2.8% (of passenger vehicles).
As far as motorcycles are concerned, the number of electric motorcycles amounts to 594 out of a total of 3,640 registered in the same year, with their percentage (of the total) reaching 7.5%.
> In 2024, the number of electric vehicles registered amounted to 2,220 out of a total of 49,616. Based on these data, the percentage of electric vehicles amounted to 4.5%. As far as slum registrations are concerned, electric vehicles amounted to 1,529 out of a total of 38,410 registered in 2024, reaching a percentage of 4%. Electric motorcycles more than doubled to 1,338, out of a total of 4,593 registered. And their percentage reached 14%.
It is noted that the increase in the registration of electric vehicles began with the launch of the Electromobility Promotion Plan.
As a result, it is not possible to determine the exact number of people who have been diagnosed with the disease.
The Minister of Transport, Mr. Alexis Vafeadis, referred to an increase in sponsorships in recent years. He also said that he has closed the program that was running, but added that an effort will be made to help those interested in acquiring an electric vehicle. As for the importers, he said that they knew that the program had an expiration date.
Meanwhile, DISY in a statement criticizes the government for "withdrawing hundreds of sponsorship applications for the purchase of an electric and plug-in hybrid car". The party, citing publications, refers to about 350 applications for sponsorship for the purchase of an electric car and around 500 applications for sponsorship for the purchase of a plug-in hybrid car.
DISY states that "this action of the Ministry of Transport raises various questions since the Sponsorship Plan was supposed to be in force until the end of 2025".
The competent Ministry and the Government, it is added in the announcement of DISY, must answer, because it was decided to "haircut" about 850 sponsorship applications for zero-emission cars, when supposedly as a State and the EU itself we have the green transition as our main goal.
It also raises the question, "how will the green transition be achieved and how will the Republic of Cyprus itself implement the goals set for it, if the Government stops the Sponsorship Schemes for the purchase of electric cars, when it has been proven – not only in Cyprus but also throughout Europe – without the existence of such Schemes, the interest of citizens in buying an electric car decreases sharply".
Furthermore, the announcement states that "it is particularly surprising that this action on the part of the Government is taking place at a time when citizens and the market seem to be oriented with an increasing trend (according to the recent data of the Statistical Service) towards the purchase of electric vehicles.
"There is also an issue with the calculated budget for these Projects, since it seems that with the withdrawal of the approximately 850 applications, an amount of about €5-6 million will remain unavailable," the party's statement adds.
Registrations of electric and other vehicles in the period 2020-2024
| Registrations per year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Number of electric vehicles of all categories registered | 270 | 308 | 739 | 1322 | 2220 |
| Total vehicles of all categories registered | 39367 | 34716 | 33795 | 45494 | 49616 |
| Percentage of electric vehicle registrations in terms of total vehicle registrations for the year | 0.7% | 0.9% | 2.2% | 2.9% | 4.5% |
| Number of registered saloon electric vehicles | 78 | 120 | 512 | 995 | 1529 |
| Total registered saloon vehicles | 30828 | 26634 | 26598 | 36608 | 38410 |
| Percentage of electric vehicle saloon registrations in terms of total vehicle saloon registrations for the year | 0.3% | 0.5% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 4.0% |
| Number of < 50cc electric motorcycles registered | 190 | 185 | 192 | 273 | 648 |
| Total < 50cc motorcycles registered | 246 | 246 | 244 | 321 | 690 |
| General set of motorcycles of all categories | 3235 | 3549 | 2842 | 3640 | 4593 |
| Percentage of registrations of electric motorcycles < 50cc in terms of total registrations of all motorcycles for the year | 6% | 5% | 7% | 7.5% | 14% |
