Catalonia to invest €1.4bn to boost use of electric cars

The Catalan government announced on Monday its plan to mobilize more than €1.4 billion coming from both the private and public sectors to boost the use of electric vehicles by 2030. 

“The solution to decarbonizing the transport sector is the electric vehicle,” said the Catalan Socialist president, Salvador Illa, during the presentation of the plan, adding that “there is no turning back.” 

The initiative aims to increase the number of electric cars from the current 14.3% to 40% by 2030 while quintupling the number of charging stations to 9,000 over the same period. 

To achieve this, the executive will offer more than €240 million euros worth of subsidized loans through the Catalan Finance Institute (ICF) to large companies to upgrade their vehicle fleets, and €200 million for the self-employed and small businesses, starting in 2026.  

During the same period, 90% of the government’s cars will be converted to electric and hybrid models.   

Additionally, the plan also includes tax incentives to encourage Catalans to invest in electric cars. 

According to Illa, the new plan will boost the car industry in Catalonia, which currently has a turnover of €14.7 billion and employs 35,000 people.

Seat president welcomes plan

The head of the Seat and Cupra car brands, Wayne Griffiths, welcomed the government's plan, considering it "a very important step."

"Electrification is the way forward, and there is no going back," Griffiths said in a statement.

The automotive industry leader applauded the administration's plans and assured that the transformation to electric vehicles is "urgent, inevitable and irreversible."

He also implored authorities "not to put at risk" an industry "as important" for the economy and employment as the automotive sector, which finds itself at "a key moment."