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  • Regulatory information
  • Transport support

Subsidy I (Acquisition of electric buses and creation of charging infrastructure)

  1. Abbreviated form of legal source(s)

    Support conditions for electric buses

  2. Description of support scheme

    A subsidy is given in Estonia for the purchase of electric buses with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector through the introduction of electric buses and contribute to the development of electric transport. Support is allocated for three main activities: (1) the purchase of at least 8 electric buses; (2) purchase, design and construction of charging infrastructure for electric buses; (3) to perform data analysis to collect, share and analyze information obtained during the operation of electric buses in comparison with diesel and gas buses.

  3. Amount

    The subsidy budget is EUR 4 million, which is also the maximum amount of support per project. The maximum share of the grant in the eligible costs of the project is 50% (Art 8, Support conditions for electric buses).

  4. Addressees

    The subsidy is addressed at the two following entities: (1) Local government, public transport center or other competent authority regulating public transport as per the Public Transport Act; (2) A carrier serving urban routes with which a public service contract has been entered into, which is valid for at least another five years as of 2 August 2021. If the public service contract is valid for a shorter period of time, the applicant must have the competent authority confirm the conclusion of the new contract for that period (Art 10, Support conditions for electric buses).

  5. Procedure

    An entity wanting to benefit from the subsidy has to submit an application to the Environmental Investment Centre (EIC), which is carrying out the relevant application round and selecting the beneficiaries on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, which is financing the measure. An application to EIC can be submitted electronically, among other documentation it needs to contain minimum two comparable price quotes, a public service contract, a description of the routes to be serviced and loading infrastructure to be built and a calculation of CO2 savings to be achieved.

  6. Competent authority

    • MKM
    • EIC

  7. Technologies

    Biofuels
    Electric vehicle

    Support is given to electric buses, which is defined as a vehicle of category M3, class I, which, in addition to the driver's seat, are more than 22 seats and a maximum mass exceeding five tonnes, and which operates solely on electric power. The bus must have a low floor and should cover at least 40,000 km per year per bus on average (Art 5, Support conditions for electric buses).

    Hydrogen