These are the recommendations of AmCham regarding the development of e-mobility in Croatia

A greater number of fast charging stations for electric vehicles, a single competent body to represent the issues of e-mobility, and a range of incentives for users of environmentally friendly vehicles are just some of the recommendations from the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Croatia regarding the development of e-mobility in our country, presented on Friday.

The Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Andrea Doko Jelušić, stated that e-mobility currently falls under the jurisdiction of three local ministries (the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure), and that the Ministry of Tourism should soon join them, as more and more tourists are arriving in vehicles powered by electric or plug-in hybrid engines. Therefore, AmCham proposes that the interests of all relevant ministries be represented in a single competent body in the future, as they believe this would enable the development of e-mobility and more effective resolution of key issues related to its growth.

To illustrate that Croatia lacks a clear strategy for the development of e-mobility, Doko Jelušić explained that there are a hundred charging stations for electric vehicles, of which only 10 are fast, where the charging time to 80% battery capacity takes only 15 to 30 minutes, unlike weaker chargers, where batteries can take up to ten hours to charge. All fast chargers are located in cities, and none on main roads or highways. Therefore, they propose the installation of fast chargers on highways at intervals of 50 to 100 kilometers. It is also proposed to exempt electric charging stations from fees for installed power, as well as to enable the construction of such charging stations on highways through a concession model for construction sites. They advocate for the separation of direct financial incentives for electric vehicles from those for hybrids in such a way that, within the planned budget, the ratio for encouraging purchases is predefined (e.g., 60% for electric, 40% for hybrid). They also propose, among other things, preferential tariffs on highways for users of such vehicles, free charging at public charging stations, and discounts on parking tickets in public garages.

The Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Mario Šiljeg, emphasized that the Ministry is making great efforts to raise awareness about preserving clean air, especially in cities. He stated that the average age of a personal vehicle operating on local roads is as much as 13 years, and that it emits three tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.

– As emissions continue to rise, the process of transitioning to cleaner fuels needs to be accelerated, Šiljeg believes, adding that through the subsidy project for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles, 50.2 million kuna has been approved in the last two years, resulting in the purchase of more than 1,400 clean vehicles.

He also mentioned that the “Low Carbon Development Strategy for Croatia until 2030 with a view to 2050” is likely to be adopted in the first quarter of next year. It is estimated that by 2050, 20% of local passenger and freight transport will shift from road to rail and urban cycling, the share of electric cars in the total number of vehicles will increase to 25%, and hybrids to 40%.

Šiljeg also announced new financial incentives for the purchase of ecological vehicles, while Professor Joško Deur from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Zagreb pointed out that the main advantages of electric vehicles are zero emissions of CO2 and harmful gases, as well as five to ten times lower energy costs, reduced noise levels, and faster response times, while the main disadvantages of such vehicles remain range, price, and charging time.