site.btaNational Trust EcoFund to Support Administrations in Purchase of Electric Vehicles, Hybrids

National Trust EcoFund to Support Administrations in Purchase of  Electric Vehicles, Hybrids

Sofia, March 31 (BTA) - The first national programme for using environment-friendly electric cars and hybrids is being launched in Bulgaria through a pilot demonstration scheme, Environment and Water Minister Ivelina Vassileva told a news conference Thursday.

The programme will be managed by the National Trust EcoFund which receives funds from the sale of emission quotas. According to the state budget, this year the fund has resources of 15 million leva, including 14 million leva intended for projects focused on improvement of public buildings' energy efficiency and 1 million leva for electric vehicles.
 
Administrations are to received 20,000 leva of subsidies to purchase an electric vehicle or support of 10,000 leva if they decide to purchase hybrid vehicles, Vassileva said.

The Minister quoted European calculations, according to which a conventional diesel motor vehicle exhausts an average 12.8 kg of CO2 emissions at a 20,000 km run a year, while conventional gasoline cars are responsible for 46 kg of emissions by the same criterion. This figure is equal to zero for electric vehicles, she underscored.

Annual fuel costs for conventional motor vehicles for 20,000 km amount to an average of 3,150 leva, while those for electric vehicles are 720 leva. In addition, traditional vehicles account for about 1,000 leva annual costs for oil and other consumables, while those for electric vehicles are again zero. This makes electric vehicles about six times more economic in the long term.