The Russian government will make toll roads free for owners of electric vehicles as part of a new initiative to increase the number of EVs on local streets.
The initiative forms part of the new Development Concept for the Production and Use of Electric Automobile Transport that was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on August 23.
Electric vehicles have a very small presence in the Russian market, currently accounting for just 0.05 per cent of total sales. The government’s plan expects to see 25,000 EVs sold each year in the country by 2024 and make up 10 per cent of all Russian new car sales by 2030. The Moscow Times notes that just 1,950 km (1,211 miles) of Russia’s 1,553,700 km (965,424 miles) are toll roads.
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A number of other initiatives are being planned to encourage consumers to buy EVs, including ways to subsidize loans and leases. Additionally, manufacturers will get subsidies for building electric vehicles and battery factories.
Local media report that Russia will invest $10.5 billion into EVs and hydrogen vehicles by 2030 and wants to establish 9,000 EV charging stations by 2024 and up to 72,000 by 2030. As many as 1,000 hydrogen stations could also be operational by 2030.
Russia’s current EV investments are primarily focused on public transport, with 0.6 per cent of its buses running on electricity. In Moscow, 5.5 per cent of buses are electric, close to the European Union average of 6.1 per cent.
