Electric car grants stop today

Photo: Peeter Langovits

These past months, popularity of the Estonian ELMO electric car purchasing grants has been on the rise. Due to depletion of means, however, starting today Kredex closes doors to further applications – from now on, the state no longer supports electric car buys financially.

It used to be an average of 40 applications a month to buy an electric vehicle. In July, however, 107 applications poured in. And, over the first days of August, 80 were added.

According to foreign trade/business minister Anne Sulling, formerly active in CO₂-quota sales, this is a sign of interest in people and ELMO has thus been a success. «Grants to buyers of electric vehicles have been greatly justified,» said Ms Sulling. «The initial deep distrust towards the electric vehicles has been dispelled and the Estonians now dare to drive electric in  the cold of the winter and the heat of summer.»

From now on, it is planned to support use of electric cars by non-monetary means. For instance, a Traffic Act amendment is in the pipeline whereby electric vehicles will be allowed unto public transport – the BUS – lines. 

In 2011–2014, Kredex has issued grants totalling €10.5m, averaging €16,500 per car. By the grants, over 650 electric cars have rolled unto the roads of Estonia, the most popular being Nissan Leaf – 370 purchased thanks to the grants.

The electric car grant was financed via an agreement between Republic of Estonia and Mitsubishi Corporation, financed out of the CO₂-sales means. Within the same deal, a pan-Estonian fast-charging network was built. 507 electric cars gotten from Mitsubishi were handed to social workers.