Incentives to use electric cars

The government is preparing significant tax incentives to encourage the use of zero- and low-emission vehicles, as well as the proliferation of electric vehicle charging stations.

The detailed set of incentives is spelled out in a circular by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR). As expected, incentives are higher for the purchase of electric vehicles than low-emission hybrids, which have been around some time, while electric vehicles are still scarce.

The government has been keen to promote electric vehicles as the cars on Greece's roads are among the oldest in Europe. Its aim is for electric cars to account for 30% of vehicles on Greek roads by 2030.

Tax breaks go beyond those already available for the purchase of zero- or low-emission vehicles; according to the IAPR document, they have been extended to the use of electric vehicles. The...