Number of electric vehicles in Croatia to rise by 64% this year

As a result of the incentives granted by the Croatian Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the country will get 133 electric and 1 plug-in cars, 224 electric bikes and 56 electric motorcycles in the next six months.

The public invitation for individuals, closed just one day after it was opened due to strong interest, resulted in the approval of HRK 12 million (EUR 1.62 million), including HRK 10.5 million (EUR 1.4 million) for electric cars, HRK 935,000 (EUR 126,000) for bicycles, and HRK 520,000 (EUR 70,000) for motorcycles, the fund said in a statement.

Depending on the type of vehicles being bought, individuals can receive from HRK 5,000 to HRK 80,000 (from EUR 670 to EUR 10,700). The vehicles can be financed with loans or through leasing.

In 2017, individuals registered 277 electric vehicles in Croatia, and after this public invitation, the number will be 64% higher, said Dubravko Ponoš, director at the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, announcing a public call for co-financing of electric vehicles for public and private sector companies worth HRK 13 million (EUR 1.75 million).

Croatia has dedicated incentives of up to HRK 25 million (EUR 3.3 million) for citizens and businesses interested in buying electric vehicles.

The incentives for EVs are rare in the region. Albania, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia do not offer them, unlike all neighboring EU countries.

According to the Program for the Implementation of the Energy Sector Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the 2017-2023 period, the government will consider the introduction of incentives.