To date, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, through the Valencian Institute for Business Competitiveness (Ivace), has provided 14 million euros in assistance for the purchase of 3,600 electric vehicles in the province of Alicante, as well as three other electric vehicles. Implementation of 565 charging points. The deadline to benefit from this scheme, which has been in development since 2021, has been extended to 31 July 2024 after the autonomous department received a further eight million euros from the central government to continue providing subsidies.
As Council Member Nuria Montes explained, The transport sector has the highest energy consumption in the Valencian Community and almost all of it comes from oil, so he adds: “It is very important to pursue active policies to promote a more sustainable type of mobility.”
The program, in particular, EUR 7,000 assistance is provided to individuals, freelancers and organizations purchasing fully electric vehicles, and EUR 5,000 for plug-in hybrids.. Regarding charging points, subsidies are 70% for individuals, self-employed people, property owners and administrations without economic activity, reaching 80% for municipalities below 5,000 euros. Depending on the size and location of the companies, these rates vary between 35% and 55%.
In the province of Alicante, where 35.5% of all aid given to the Valencian Community is concentrated, Funds were used to support the purchase of 2,400 pure electric vehicles and 1,200 plug-in hybrids. Likewise, of the 565 subsidized charging points, 347 were installed in private homes, while the rest were located elsewhere, of which 98 were for semi-fast charging and 120 for fast or ultra-fast charging.
According to Manuel Argüelles, General Manager of Energy and Mining, supporting sustainable urban mobility includes: Prioritize the cleanest and most efficient modes of transportationTherefore, “it is important to encourage the renewal of the vehicle fleet that uses fossil fuels towards vehicles powered by alternative energies, especially electric ones,” he explains.
And all because he claims: «These types of vehicles still have difficulty finding a place in the market. Aids need to be included to encourage purchases compared to those working with traditional technologies.