MINSK, 28 October (BelTA) – Plans have been made to build over 1,300 electric vehicle charging stations in Belarus by 2030. Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Nazarov made the statement during a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus in the Oval Hall of the House of Government on 28 October, BelTA has learned.
There are 486 EV charging stations in Belarus at present. The number will increase to 600 by the end of the year. Fast charging stations will make up half of the number. Over 1,300 electric vehicle charging stations will be installed in Belarus by 2030 as well as 25 superfast charging complexes in the oblast capitals, in Minsk, and along the main motorways. Belorusneft Company is busy implementing a pilot project to build a superfast charging complex in Napoleona Ordy Street in Minsk.
Yuri Nazarov said the government had approved a program on setting up a state chain of EV charging stations and a presidential decree had been passed on stimulating the use of electric vehicles. A number of tax preferences for individuals and corporations are available. Amendments to the decree were discussed during last week's government conference hosted by the head of state. The head of state backed the amendments.
The amendments provide for extending the effect of the presidential decree onto passenger transport and freight transport, for scrapping VAT along the entire EV acquisition chain (from manufacturing and import to the acquisition of electric vehicles by natural and legal persons). The amendments provide for exempting EV manufacturers from paying VAT on imported parts, which are not manufactured locally. “As a result, we will bring the price for electric vehicles closer to prices for vehicles with internal combustion engines,” the deputy prime minister said. “As for charging stations, we suggest expanding the current preference – 100% investment deduction – from the charging device onto the entire cost of an EV charging station, including installation costs. It will increase investment deduction by up to three times. The industrial group Belorusneft has been put in charge of creating the state EV charging stations chain.”
