[WATCH] Government giving 24 electric vehicles for free for volunteers to try out

Resources minister George Pullicino today launched the national strategy for the introduction of electronic vehicles in Malta and Gozo. The launch coincided with the issuing of a call for tender for government to purchase 24 electric vehicles.

The specifications of the vehicles will range to offer different vehicles, including two commercial vehicles. Eventually, a truck will also be made available.

The applicants - who must fulfil a number of criteria - will be chosen randomly by a lottery. The volunteers who will get to use the car for a minimum of three months will not pay for the car but will be responsible of recharging their car and taking care of it.

The eligible applicants must also have solar panels installed at their homes. By the end of this year, a number of charging points will be set up at a number of localities throughout the island. Government is expected to set up a full 100 charging points by 2013.

A second scheme launched today and published in the Government Gazette, is a grant for the purchase of 'Plug-In Vehicles' - electric cars - for personal use. Government will be subsidising the price at a maximum of 25%, up to a maximum of €4,000.

Minister George Pullicino said that the aim of the scheme was to monitor and see how the 24 vehicles will operate in Malta and will serve for gathering of useful data, including electricity consumption, demand, charging patterns and more.

This will in turn be useful to feed the policy making process.

"The problem right now is that it is an unknown technology for Malta. This project will serve for us to follow the cars and their usage while it will serve the public to become familiar with these cars," Pullicino said.

Pullicino - who later took a test drive in an electric car - explained that an electric vehicle consumed less running costs when compared to a conventional vehicle. According to Engineer Peter Mifsud, an electric car consumed 2c5 per kilometre while a combustion engine consumed 7c per kilometre.

 Among other, eligible applicants must be 25 years of age and more and have a valid licence. Instructions and form may be downloaded from www.mrra.gov.mt. Emails can be sent on [email protected]