Greece: “1 in 3 new cars an EV by 2030”
Greece wants one in three new cars sold in the country to be an electric vehicle (EV) by 2030. That’s one of the most striking elements of the National Plan for Energy and Climate, proposed by Energy and Environment minister Kostis Hatzidakis, and designed to tackle the country’s worst-in-class performance when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Other points of the Plan:
- Greece will support the domestic production of biofuel.
- There are plans to promote the use of CNG in light vehicles and LNG in heavy vehicles and shipping. The Plan proposes developing 55 CNG fuel stations and eight LNG ones by 2030.
- The country will promote the sale of vehicles powered by electricity, gas and other alternative fuels. Incentives may include tax cuts and lower duties, subsidising the purchase price, or other measures, including free parking.
In 2019, EVs made up less than 1% of new-vehicle sales in Greece. The capital Athens (pictured: Hadrian’s Arch) is tied with Milan for EU city with the highest emissions rate from transport. That is linked to the fact that Greece has one of the oldest car fleets in the EU.
LeasePlan’s EV Readiness Index (more on that here) shows Greece among Europe’s bottom four countries. Last year, public EV chargers increased 73% across Europe, fast chargers topped 4,000. The Netherlands and Norway have the best chargers per capita ratio; Greece, Poland and Romania the worst.
However, Greece’s tax system is among the most generous for EV drivers, compared to diesel car drivers, according to the LeasePlan index. Clearly, a critical mass of EV chargers is crucial for the adoption of electric mobility.
