A senior EAC official told the Financial Mirror that the tender issued on Tuesday is to purchase equipment to supply forty electric vehicles “public charging stations” constructed on EAC owned or leased land, along motorways and in or near major rural communities.

Demetris Nathanael, Assistant Purchasing Manager at the EAC, said that tenders close on February 9 and their evaluation would begin immediately the next day.

“We intend to evaluate the bids within a month and award the contracts 2-3 months after that so that the stations can be ready to operate by the end of the year.”

The tender documents are available on the public eProcurement site, and the entire contract is valued at about €160-170,000, with the EAC choosing the lowest bidder.

The tenderers will be electrical equipment manufacturers and suppliers, as the EAC will construct the charging stations.

From January 2021 until the end of November, a mere 250 electric vehicles were registered by the Ministry of Transport, placing Cyprus at the bottom of the list of EU member states for market share of EVs and hybrids.

Ambitious aim

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos has set an ambitious goal of 25% of all new vehicle registrations being electric by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035.

This would mean 36,000 EVs on Cyprus roads by the end of the decade.

To reach that target, the government recently introduced €38 mln in grants towards the purchase of new and used EVs, offering €9,000 and €4,000, respectively, with a bonus €1,000 to scrap the applicant’s old fuel-powered car.

The scheme for 360 new cars was oversubscribed ten-fold, while for the purchase of used cars, applicants barely satisfied the offer, with the balance expected to be redistributed to buyers of new EVs.

Grants were also offered for new and used taxi cabs, mini-buses, buses, motorbikes, and incentives for large families.

The government also plans to increase the number of EV charging points to 1,000 by the end of 2025, with privateers already investing in building their facilities.

A further 40 fast-charge points are expected to be dotted along the main highways.

The owners of the Grecian Park Hotel in Protaras are among the first to install EV charging points, with others expected to follow.

At present, considering the high electricity cost, a single full charge for a 500km journey in Cyprus is estimated at €3 to €5, compared to €60-70 for a petrol or diesel-powered car, with the EAC charging an initial fixed fee of €25, with the usage charged on a bi-monthly bill.

Source: Financial Mirror