Ukraine plans to increase the share of EVs to 75%

Ukraine’s State Road Agency (Ukravtodor) has approved a plan of measures to maintain the e-mobility of the country. It assumes that by 2030, the number of electric cars in Ukraine will grow tenfold to 75%. British consultants helped to prepare the plan.

Ukravtodor says that the demand for electric cars is constantly growing. In 2021, they bought 19% e-vehicles more than in 2020. But the market share remains minuscule — 1.4%. The biggest problem preventing Ukrainians from switching to electric cars is the lack of infrastructure.

Here are the key focuses of the plan:

• Developing a network of EV charging points on state roads
• ensuring the stable financing of roads
• promoting electrification of transport

As of January 1, 2022, over 33,000 electric vehicles are registered in Ukraine. The new strategy envisages increasing the share of electric cars to 75% by 2030.

However, the rapid transition to electric vehicles may deprive Ukravtodor of stable funding. The key source of the road fund is the excise tax on fuel regularly paid by petrol car drivers. This money the government uses to repair and build roads. The owners of electric vehicles pay the excise tax only once when they buy a car. But Ukravtodor believes that a general increase in the number of cars will compensate for this problem.

The plan was created as part of the reform package implemented by Ukravtodor in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.