BUDAPEST: The cost of an electric car is set to drop in Hungary, with the government offering to help consumers with the purchase from October, the country’s economy minister pledged at an E-mobility Forum held in Budapest on September 21.
Support totalling HUF5bn for purchasers of electric cars over the next 18 months is the latest in a series of incentives aimed at raising demand in Hungary, which aspires to be a regional leader in electromobility. Other Visegrad countries, however, aren’t about to give Hungary a free pass.
Economy Minister Mihaly Varga repeatedly emphasized at the Budapest event that Hungary is “becoming more and more involved in the fight against climate change and global warming,” as he announced the latest incentive to boost the use of electric vehicles. Environmental issues, however, have never been particularly high on the political agenda of the ruling Fidesz party.
The government is currently being widely criticized, for example, for drastically reducing green space in the capital’s Varosliget (City Park) and for passing regulations that curb the development of wind power. The government also appears more willing to risk another major spat with the EU than angering voters by introducing a congestion charge in Budapest.
