Hungary Second in Europe for New E-car Sales Growth

The number of new pure electric cars registered in Hungary increased over one and a half times in January-August this year compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Energy said on its Facebook page on Thursday.

Only Malta’s figure was better than the 53.5 percent increase. The EU average shows a decrease of more than 8 percent, the ministry pointed out.

In a similar comparison, Hungary was silver medalist on the continent in July, also behind the island nation, producing significantly lower numbers. The 60,000th car powered exclusively by electricity was registered in Hungary in the summer.

August figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show an EU-wide drop of almost 44 percent in green car registrations.

Only seven member states reported an increase in the last month, including Hungary.

The ministry reiterated that the future lies in green energy. In addition to climate protection, the Hungarian government believes it is important to promote the introduction of more environmentally friendly electromobility in order to strengthen European competitiveness.

This year’s expansion has been greatly boosted by a HUF 30 billion (EUR 76 million) program to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles by domestic companies. So far, over 3,700 applicants have applied for state support to buy 3,400 cars and nearly 1,100 vans. Around 2,500 companies have already been awarded HUF 11.7 billion (EUR 29.6 million), the vast majority of them have signed a grant contract, and over a tenth have been paid HUF 1.1 billion (EUR 2.7 million), the ministry said.

The Ministry of Energy will soon launch a program to tackle the white spots in the rural charging network in order to further promote green transition.

Thanks to the HUF 28 billion (EUR 71 million) tender, modern charging stations will be set up at around 100 new locations outside the capital.

Via MTI; Featured image via Facebook/Energiaügyi Minisztérium