Ta Nea: Greek gov’t eyeing major incentives plan to replace standard vehicles with e-cars

The Mitsotakis government is reportedly ready to unveil a major package of incentives to replace older internal combustion vehicles in the country with electric cars.

According to a report in Tuesday’s “Ta Nea”, the government is examining whether to include the incentives, considered as “ground-breaking” by Greek standards, in an upcoming draft bill on climate change.

If the provisions are eventually included in a forthcoming draft bill, then they will also extend to the withdrawal and replacement of taxis, tens of thousands of which cruise the streets of the greater Athens and Thessaloniki areas on a daily basis. In terms of taxi cabs, the incentives will also cover the purchase of lower-emission standard vehicles, hybrids and fully electric cars.

A large portion of the taxi fleets in Greece today are diesel-powered vehicles, some of which are may be up to two decades old.

Sources said the relevant draft bill should be ready by October, aimed to coincide with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ participation at the Nov. 1 UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), in Glasgow.

The pro-reform Mitsotakis is staking a large part of his government’s post-Covid recovery plan and a more long-term view for sustainable economic growth on promoting “green” and “smart” investments and initiatives. The aim until October is to have a framework text ready with the Greek state’s targets for reducing “greenhouse gas” emissions.

The same sources said the incentives plan will extend until 2030.