Flemish Government launches group purchase scheme for electric cars
Just ahead of the opening of the annual Brussels Motor Show, the Flemish Energy Minister Lydia Peeters (liberal) has launched a platform for the group purchase of electric cars. Currently just 1.94% of the cars on our roads are electrically-powered. However, targets set by the government stipulated that 7.5% of the vehicles on our roads should be electrically-powered by 2020.
“A lot of people are reluctant to take the plunge and buy an electric car. Through this group purchase we hope to take this fear away”, Ms Peeters told journalists.
However, the automobile industry federation Febiac is not convinced.
"I this the task of the authorities? I think that there are other things for the Flemish authorities to do”, Febiac’s Joost Kaesemans told VRT News.
"It is important that we support new technology. The price is indeed often an obstacle. But there are issues such as energy supply, green energy and energy transition where a lot still needs to be done”.
Mr Kaesemans added that "Many electric cars are still more expensive than other vehicles. A group purchase is one way of countering this. However, this is something that in reality is part of the commercial line taken when selling cars”.