Croatia to launch EV grants for companies, as round for individuals closes

Croatia’s Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (EPEEF) will invite private companies and the public sector to apply for incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) in a few weeks, after the latest invitation to individuals was temporarily closed within just over 24 hours amid strong demand.

The invitation to individuals was temporarily closed on April 26, as a sufficient number of applications was filed to exhaust the EUR 1.62 million (HRK 12 million) grant budget.

The grants for individuals range from EUR 670 (HRK 5,000) to EUR 10,700 (HRK 80,000). Most of the applications, about one-third, were filed for electric cars, followed by electric scooters and electric bicycles, while the smallest number of applications were for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, said EPEEF Director Dubravko Ponoš.

As the number of EVs on Croatia’s roads is growing, so is the country working to develop the appropriate infrastructure. Croatia currently has around 230 EV charging stations, and Ponoš announced that the EPEEF will co-finance these projects in 2018 as well.

“By comparison, 3,800 EV charging stations were being used in EU countries in 2011, while the number has since grown to over 100,000. This indicates the direction of technological development of the automotive industry and accompanying infrastructure, making it quite clear in which direction e-mobility in Croatia should be headed,” Ponoš said.

According to Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Ćorić, the EPEEF can be expected to continue approving incentives for EVs in the years to come, given that the draft of the 4th national energy efficiency action plan envisages a total of EUR 15.6 million (HRK 115.5 million) in incentives for cleaner transport through 2020.