Owners of electric cars are currently not eligible for discounts when purchasing e-vignettes - confirmed Petra Poláčiková, spokeswoman for the Slovak Ministry of Transport, to the SITA news agency. Based on the government’s extraordinary session in February, the ministry was supposed to develop a proposal by the end of June to temporarily prioritize electric vehicles in terms of highway and expressway usage fees in Slovakia.
Negative budget impact “Therefore, together with the NDS, we analyzed the scope and possibilities of toll payment discounts for electric cars, including ways to amend the relevant legislation and transform the necessary IT systems,” said the spokeswoman. The price of the e-vignettes is changing, with the 365-day vignette potentially costing up to 90 euros. In the case of the toll, based on an agreement with the freight association, so-called emission-free vehicles only pay the base fee, which is based on the principle of reimbursing infrastructure costs, and do not pay the surcharge for CO2 emissions. However, the situation is different for e-vignettes. “In the case of electronic e-vignettes, we examined several options, but all of them had an unfavorable budget impact, which is why we did not introduce discounts for e-vignettes for electric cars,” Poláčiková explained. Transition to electromobility An extraordinary government session on the further development of the automotive industry took place at the end of February.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that Slovakia cannot delay in transitioning to electromobility. He emphasized that car manufacturing accounts for 10% of the total GDP, and Slovakia is the world leader in per capita car production. “Under such circumstances, we cannot afford the risk that Slovakia will not be prepared for the transition to electromobility,” he stated. Improving the purchase of e-vignettes has become easier for drivers. In what case is this possible for a one-day vignette? The resolution contains several tasks, including supporting car manufacturers, potentially prioritizing the purchase and leasing of electric cars, providing discounts on highway usage fees, as well as developing infrastructure, and initiating a project to prepare the education and labor market in the road transport sector.
