Electric car charging stations islandwide by end of next year

Electric vehicle charging stations will be installed on roads across Cyprus by the end of 2019, transport minister Vasiliki Anastassiadou announced on Thursday.

During Thursday’s discussion with the House finance committee regarding the budget to be allocated to the ministry of transport for 2019, Anastassiadou said that the installation of charging stations will be carried out using a budget of €1.5 m which is already available at the department of electrical and mechanical services, which has already announced a tender and completed the evaluation of applicants.

By the end of 2019, the minister said, charging stations for electric vehicles will be placed in 10-12 locations on roads across the island.

Most will be placed at weighing stations and will be quick-charge, the minister added, which will charge electric vehicles to 80 per cent in 20 minutes.

The goal, Anastassiadou said, is not for the government to compete with the private sector – as the EU wants the development of electric vehicles to be done by the private sector – but to assist in making some projects more viable in order for the private sector to then be able to develop the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles.

In order to increase motivation for the shift into electric vehicle use, Anastassiadou said that subsidy plans are being promoted in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy, while circulation and registration charges will not be imposed.

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