The Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Islands Government has announced a subsidy of 15 million euros to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by taxis operating in Low Emission Zones (ZBE). There are two lines of financial assistance available to support the purchase of plug-in vehicles and the installation of charging infrastructure for taxi drivers.
The grants, which are funded by the European Next Generation programme, are being managed by the chambers of commerce in the Canary Islands. The aim is to promote projects that facilitate the transition towards renewable energy sources in the Islands. A total of 12 million euros will be dedicated to supporting the acquisition of electric or hybrid vehicles, while 3 million euros will be allocated for the installation of charging points to facilitate their integration.
Evelyn Alonso, the Councilor for Mobility of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, recently informed urban taxi drivers about the availability of this government assistance. The announcement was made on March 26 in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands. The council can receive up to 40% funding for the installation of charging points dedicated to electric taxis, which includes battery charging systems specifically designed for taxi use.
The subsidy allows for the installation of individual charging points for single taxi licenses, as well as the joint acquisition of charging systems by multiple beneficiaries as specified in the call for applications. Mayor Alonso clarified that charging systems of any power and type may be eligible for financial support.
Regarding the purchase of electric taxis, the subsidy amount ranges from 5,000 to 14,000 euros per beneficiary. In the case of electric charging infrastructure, local authorities will be eligible for 50% of the costs if they represent municipalities with a population of fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, and 40% for larger municipalities like Santa Cruz.
Taxis in La Laguna
Yesterday, the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy held an information session in collaboration with Radio Taxi La Laguna to explain the available subsidies. Taxi drivers in La Laguna will also benefit from these incentives. Alberto Hernández Suárez, the Director of Energy, emphasized the importance of promoting sustainable mobility in the Canary Islands and assured that all stakeholders involved in the sector will receive support throughout the application process.
Hernández, together with Ángel Montañés, the Director of Ecological Transition and Climate Change, announced that similar meetings with taxi drivers will be scheduled in all municipalities in the Canary Islands where the Low Emission Zones need to be implemented.
