In the program “Green Taxis”which concerns the subsidy of up to 22,500 euros for the replacement of old and polluting vehicles with new trams, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikourasat an event organized at the Theocharakis Foundation, regarding the presentation of the new integrated proposal for the electrification of taxis in Attica, “ZAP Táxi Clube” .
The benefit for taxi drivers
Regarding this specific initiative, Staikouras highlighted that “taxi owners, through the purchase of a new electric vehicle, benefit from zero maintenance costs, savings of at least 30% on the total operating cost of their taxi, direct access to charging of the ZAP network and higher revenues due to the priority distribution of electric vehicles to passengers”.
Below is the full statement from Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras:
“The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has prioritized the promotion of electric mobility, which is a fundamental pillar of sustainable urban mobility.
To achieve this objective we had to act methodically, decisively and quickly.
1st. We accelerated payments for the “Move Electric 2” Program.
From November 2023 until today, subsidies worth around 28 million euros have been paid to 8,250 beneficiaries. And these continue, monthly, at high speeds.
2nd The implementation of the “Moving Electric 3” Program has already started, with great – it is a fact – interest.
The new Program includes an increased subsidy for individuals, which now reaches 11 thousand euros, along with additional support for vehicle renovations.
Furthermore, relevant grant application procedures have been simplified, reducing bureaucracy, making the platform more accessible to citizens and significantly reducing the time required to pay beneficiaries.
3rd. We are implementing, at a better pace, the “Charging Everywhere” Program, in cooperation with private sector organizations and Local Government.
4th We seek to implement the “Green Taxi” Program.
We received it last summer with almost zero interest.
There is progress, but we are still a long way from reaching the goal.
It is worth remembering that the budget for the action amounts to 40 million euros, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund and is sufficient to replace 1,770 old and polluting taxis with purely electric ones, with the mandatory condition of refurbishing the old vehicle. .
The value of the subsidy is particularly high, as it reaches up to 40% – of the pre-VAT value – of the taxi, with the maximum total support amounting to 22,500 euros.
Furthermore, there are additional subsidies for porters, for people with special needs, for young people between 18 and 29 years old, for large families (3 children or more).
To date, there are 104 active applications, of which 85 were approved, 35 were subsidized and 18 presented supporting documents for payment.
Given this and having consulted the private sector on the concerns that were raised regarding the implementation of the Program, we welcome today’s initiative.
An initiative that responds to a significant part of these concerns, both with regard to the existence of the necessary liquidity and the existence of charging stations in specific areas.
In particular, the ZAP Taxi Club is presented today, the new integrated proposal for the electrification of taxis in Attica, which was created by the investment company SirecEnergy, in collaboration with the companies Ethniki Leasing, which is the project’s financier, and FREENOW.
The newly created company is developing a new fast charging network in Attica, exclusively for ZAP Taxi Club electric taxis.
The new electric taxis can be purchased by owners of old conventional taxi vehicles with financing from Ethniki Leasing, with full coverage of vehicle maintenance, insurance and necessary energy, combined with the respective government subsidy for the purchase, which I mentioned earlier.
Taxi owners, through the purchase of a new electric vehicle, also benefit from zero maintenance costs, savings of at least 30% on the total running cost of their taxi, direct access to ZAP’s fast charging network and increased revenues due to the priority availability of electric vehicles to passengers.
The new network of charging stations, exclusive to Zap Taxi Club members, is being developed in 10 central points in Attica, including the Airport area, OAKA, the port area of Piraeus, the center of Athens, Kifisos Bus Station KTEL, northern, western and southern suburbs.
The first charging point will be opened in June and the remaining 9 by the end of 2024, allowing electric taxis to charge in 20 minutes.
Following today’s initiative, I once again call on the taxi industry to renew its vehicle fleet, taking advantage of generous government subsidies and important private sector initiatives.
In the future, based on European guidelines and directives, the “green” renewal of the car fleet will be a one-way street and related subsidies will be limited, as resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund will not be available.
Now is the time and the opportunity!”