Leaders Urge Slovakia to Boost Electromobility, Citing EU Funds and Low Market Share
Leaders from various sectors, including Patrik Krizansky from SEVA, Alexander Matusek from ZAP SR, and Alexej Beljajev from APZD, along with delegates from key Chambers of Commerce, have united to urge the Slovak government to boost electromobility. They launched a public call on February 8th, highlighting the need to incentivize the electric vehicle industry and expand charging infrastructure.
The signatories, representing the Slovak-German, Slovak-French, and Slovak-Austrian Chambers of Commerce, among others, demand legislative actions to support the development of the electric vehicle industry. They see the accelerated implementation of programs approved in the Action Plan for the Development of Electromobility as an ideal opportunity for the government.
Currently, Slovakia's electric vehicle market share stands at a mere three per cent, significantly lower than the European average of 14 per cent. The country risks not utilizing 300 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. To tackle this, local authorities have allocated 50 million euros to expand public charging points by at least 3,000 new units by 2026.
SEVA projects that zero-emission vehicle registrations, currently around 10,000, will accelerate to a ten per cent growth rate by 2025 and up to 39 per cent by 2030. However, the sector has been without direct subsidies for car purchases since 2020, apart from a brief subsidy program launched in 2019 with an initial budget of six million euros.
The signatories urge the Slovak government to support car manufacturers and EV purchasers to develop electromobility. They aim to utilize the allocated funds effectively and increase the market share of electric vehicles. The government is encouraged to take legislative actions to incentivize the industry and expand charging infrastructure, ensuring Slovakia keeps pace with the rest of Europe in the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
