Budget, Ecology, Energy, Estonia, Legislation, Transport

Payment of the subsidies was suspended in August 2014 and after that the interest in buying electric cars has disappeared. Money has been allocated for the maintenance of the speed charging network of cars until 2017.

There are more than a thousand electric cars in Estonia now – mostly Nissan and Mitsubishi cars. However, car dealers say that after the state stopped payment of subsidies, the sales figure of both brands' electric cars is essentially a round zero.

Nissan Nordic Europe Eesti manager Margus Mikk admitted that the first half of the year will certainly be very quiet. "First and foremost, because of the huge discount rally has ended and after such discounts, no one will be able to buy the car at full price," he explained.

Car sales and service companies union AMTEL chief executive Arno Sillat pointed out that nowhere in the world are electric cars sold completely without state support.

Economy Ministry Transport Development Department Head Toomas Haidak said that the matter has been discussed and it is not excluded that the payment of subsidies will continue on a smaller scale than before, but not yet this year. "It will be discussed in the context of the preparation of next year's state budget. We actually have the means till 2017 in the framework of the electric mobility programme," said Haidak.