“A tender with a budget of five billion forints (EUR 14.3 million) is being launched on Wednesday to fund the acquisition of purely electric cars and mopeds”, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology’s State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy Péter Kaderják announced at a press conference in Budapest.

The sum of non-refundable funding may reach 2.5 million forints (EUR 7,200) per vehicle in the case of cars priced under 11 million forints (EUR 31,000), while in the case of cars that are priced between 11 and 15 million forints (EUR 31-43 thousand), the maximum level of funding will be 500 thousand forints (EUR 1,400). In the case of taxi services, the level of funding could reach 55 percent of the vehicle’s purchase price.

“In harmony with the Climate and Environmental Protection Action Plan, we would like to make the purchasing of electric motor vehicles available to a broader range of people, and accordingly we have shifted the funding system towards more favourably prices cars”, Mr. Kaderják emphasised.
Within the framework of the program, individual entrepreneurs, and especially couriers and delivery people will be able to purchase electric mopeds, with the maximum level of funding reaching 55 percent of the purchase price in the case of vehicles priced between 100 thousand and 1 million forints (EUR 285-2850). “We would like to support activities that require a higher than average mileage, because it is through this that we can best contribute to the fight against climate change”, the State Secretary explained.

Applications may be submitted from 15 June this year until 1 June 2022, or until the budget is depleted, via the https://elektromobilitas.ifka.hu/ program portal.

“Applying will be simpler than ever before, with all the required documentation having to be sent in online. Processing times will be significantly shortened as a result of electronic administration, in addition to which applications will also be assessed and the sums paid out more rapidly”, Mr. Kaderják said. He highlighted that an electric car or moped may be ordered at an applicant’s own risk following the submission of an application, but cannot be received without the related funding certificate.
The State Secretary recalled that the tender launched by the Ministry in 2018 for the procurement of electric vehicles was closed on 24 February of this year following the depletion of the associated budget of 3.3 billion forints (EUR 9.4 million).

“The new tender also conforms to the goals of the government’s comprehensive Economy Protection Action Plan aimed at rebooting the economy, in view of the fact that one of the leading sectors of the Hungarian economy is the automotive industry, and the reinforcement of the electromobility sector is one of the government’s priority goals”, he indicated.

Mr. Kaderják emphasised that it has also been set as a goal that the rebooting of the economy should as much as possible be realised in an environmentally friendly, green and sustainable manner. “This is indicated by several economic development tenders published in recent days, including the tender relating to funding towards the purchasing of affordable electric vehicles and mopeds”, he stated. “The latest tender has also opened the way towards two-wheeled vehicles and micro-mobility”, he added.

The State Secretary also mentioned that the government is not only promoting the acquisition of electric cars, but within the framework of the Green Bus Program is also providing 36 billion forints (EUR 10.3 million) in funding towards the climate policy goal of ensuring that only electric buses may be used in city public transport from 2022.

(Ministry for Innovation and Technology / MTI)