Use of electric vehicles expected to proliferate

By Chryssa Liaggou

Public Power Corporation (PPC) is planning to lend its support to the circulation of electric cars in Greece by opening charging stations across the country, as it expects a steady increase in the number of such vehicles on Greek roads in the coming years.

A conference organized by PPC in Athens on Wednesday heard that already more than 60 cars powered exclusively on electricity have been sold in Greece and the company is planning to lease 15 such vehicles while introducing a pilot scheme with the operation of 15 charging stations (eight in Kozani and seven in Athens).

Energy Minister Yiannis Maniatis spoke of the creation of a new market bearing the standards of a sustainable industry, and referred to a study by the European Commission according to which 700,000 jobs will be created in the sector during the next decade across the European Union, including 7,000 in Greece.

At the moment there are 47 electric cars circulating in Athens and 15 in the rest of Greece. According to the targets set by the Commission, Greece will need to have about 13,000 charging points by 2020. The main reason Greece is trailing in terms of electric vehicle circulation has been the absence of a regulatory framework.