Luxembourg to spend almost €4m on charging electric cars

Luxembourg continues to invest heavily in the development of infrastructure for electric vehicles. The fifth round of grants for the installation of charging stations resulted in the approval of 25 projects from 20 different companies. These initiatives cover the whole spectrum of businesses, from petrol stations and shopping centres to industrial plants. Government subsidies cover up to 50% of the costs and the total amount allocated was €3.7 million.

Of the 273 new charging stations, 93 will be publicly accessible, while the rest are intended for private use. The capacity of the installations varies according to business needs and the total declared capacity will reach 17,098 kW. This approach allows both customer needs and the internal operations of businesses to be met.

Luxembourg's Minister of Economy Lex Delles praised the results of the programme, noting that even the fifth edition of the competition had generated significant interest from businesses. He stressed that this is proof of the determination of companies to participate in the decarbonisation of the economy. These efforts, he said, also contribute to achieving national climate goals and improving the competitiveness of businesses.

In addition to the main subsidies, there is a separate support programme for SMEs, approved by the European Commission in 2021. It provides reimbursement of up to 50% of the costs of installing charging stations and up to 60% of the costs of connecting to the network. The maximum amount of support is limited to €60,000 for the connection and €40,000 for the chargers themselves. However, the programme will end by the end of 2024 and companies have until 31 December to apply.