[WATCH] Government targets 65,000 electric cars on the road by 2030

Government’s target is to have 65,000 electric cars on the road by 2030 as part of its carbon reduction strategy, Aaron Farrugia said.

The Environment Minister added that the cash grant of €11,000 introduced in the budget will help bring about this transition.

“Experts have told us that electric cars will reach price parity with conventional cars by 2025, making them more accessible but until then we are encouraging change by a generous cash grant,” he said during a debate with Opposition environment spokesperson Robert Cutajar on TVM News Plus’s Xtra.

Farrugia defended Malta’s negotiating stance with the European Commission to lower its target to reduce carbon emissions to 19% from 30% by 2030.

Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia

He said Malta’s reduced target would cost €2 billion to achieve through incentives and investments.

“We cannot risk burdening people and making industry uncompetitive when we are the least polluting member state in the EU,” Farrugia said.

But for the Opposition, government’s target is not ambitious enough, with Cutajar insisting it should be in the region of 30%.

Opposition environment spokesperson Robert Cutajar

Cutajar said the cash grant for electric vehicles is still not enough and should have been higher to enable people with lower incomes to get into the electric car market.

Farrugia accused the Opposition of making declarations about carbon reduction targets without having a costed plan. “The result will be a burden on families because they will introduce street parking fees and alternate driving days.”

Cutajar denied the Nationalist Party had any such plans, accusing the minister of inventing things.

He said the PN’s energy policy had placed emphasis on the construction of a second interconnector with mainland Europe and a floating wind turbines to generate clean energy.

Cutajar in turn, accused government of wanting to shift the burden on future generations.