Car-hire association calls for climate change legislation delay

The Balearic law sets out the need for two per cent of vehicles bought by the sector in 2020 to be electric and to ensure that 0.6% of the whole fleet of hire cars is electric. However, the association does not feel that investment in infrastructure to accompany these objectives has been sufficient.

The association argues that there needs to be greater incentive to purchase electric vehicles. In the Balearics this year there has been only 0.7% growth. By contrast, in the Canaries there has been 75% growth because the Canaries regional indirect tax has been eliminated for electric vehicle purchase.

According to information from the Anfac motor manufacturers association, the Balearics rank only ninth among Spain's regions in terms of electric vehicle take-up and the development of the necessary infrastructure. This is behind certain regions with lower GDP than the Balearics, e.g. Asturias. With regard to rapid charging points, only the north African cities of Ceuta and Melilla have fewer than the Balearics.

Aneval believes that compliance with the Balearic legislation is made additionally difficult by the fact that of 336 models for sale in Spain only 21 are electric.