The competition started at Kaunas “Science Island”, stopped at Cēsis “Cosmos Discovery Center” and finished at Tartu “Ahhaa Science Center”. More than 60 teams collectively covered nearly 32,000 kilometers.
Read more Ukrainian pilot chased a Russian missile to the Polish border – what happened next
The winners of the business category with the “BMW iX3”, who had to reach the finish as quickly as possible, covered 520 km without stopping for charging. In the tourism category, the victory also went to the “BMW iX3” team, which traveled 672 kilometers in 8 hours.
For a few other teams, the trip from Kaunas to Tartu cost 10 or 20 euros, but the organizers calculated best. They used only “Ford” cars for the first time. Two were true electric vehicles “Capri” and “Transit”, and one was a plug-in hybrid “Ranger”.
The latter’s advantages are revealed in the city, but for the entire trip from Vilnius through Kaunas to Tartu and back to Vilnius, its fuel cost 198 euros. Meanwhile, the same trip with the electric “Ford Capri” cost 92 euros. The “Transit”, which had a special task, traveled to Cēsis and back to Vilnius for 72 euros.
The economy is obvious, but there is one “but”. All participants and organizers strictly followed traffic rules and did not exceed the allowed speed. This is one of the most important conditions for economical driving with electric vehicles. The competition once again proved that traveling by electric cars in the Baltic countries is convenient, fast, and cheap.
However, prices of electric vehicles and internal combustion engine cars of the same class still differ to the disadvantage of electric vehicles. Over several years of operation, electric vehicles win, but buyers want benefits here and now. In Lithuania and neighboring countries, electric vehicle buyers have been subsidized for several years.
APVA support for purchasing an electric vehicle
Support has ended in Estonia and Latvia. Also in Lithuania, but after a short break on July 30-31, the Environmental Project Management Agency (APVA) announces new funding calls aimed at promoting the purchase of electric vehicles in the country. A total amount of 20 million euros is allocated for this stage: 12 million euros for residents’ electric vehicles and 8 million euros for legal entities. Taking into account residents’ requests, one important requirement for receiving funding has been clarified.
“Our goal is to ensure that the transition to cleaner transport in the country proceeds as smoothly as possible. Analyzing the results of the previous call, we noticed that some residents who purchased electric vehicles did not manage to use the support that ended at the beginning of summer.
Read more After the LRTK appeal, Meta removed a dozen short Facebook videos
Responding to these expectations and cooperating with the Ministry of Transport, we sought solutions to make the funding conditions as attractive and fair as possible. Therefore, residents who purchased and registered electric vehicles from May 1 of this year will be able to receive compensation,” says Agnė Markauskienė, Director of the Green Transformation Department at APVA.
Updated conditions
The largest share of funding, 12 million euros, is allocated for the renewal of private individuals’ vehicle fleets. Those who decide to switch to an electric vehicle, as in the previous call, will be eligible for the following one-time compensations: 5,000 euros for purchasing a new electric vehicle, and 2,500 euros for a used (not older than 4 years) electric vehicle.
Residents will be able to receive compensation for vehicles registered in the applicant’s name no earlier than May 1, 2026. The date was adjusted considering requests from residents who recently purchased electric vehicles but did not manage to use the support during the previous call.
Long-awaited innovation for companies
The call for legal entities introduces a very relevant innovation – for the first time, support will be provided not only for new but also for used electric vehicles. Companies will be able to receive 4,000 euros for purchasing a new electric vehicle, as before, and 2,000 euros compensation for a used vehicle up to four years old.
Private legal entities will receive support if the electric vehicle is registered in the company’s name or its management was taken over no earlier than December 1, 2025. The date is set to ensure continuity from the end of the previous call.
Changes in funding for public sector institutions
Institutions will be able to receive 5,000 euros compensation for purchasing a new electric vehicle, and 2,500 euros for a used (not older than 4 years) electric vehicle. Compensation is granted if the electric vehicle was registered in the institution’s name or it became the vehicle’s manager no earlier than May 1, 2026. Funding for public institutions will be allocated from the total 8 million euros basket designated for the legal sector.
Read more In the first half of this year, industrial production volumes in Latvia increased by 6.5%.
