An exploration of electric-car mobility in Greece: A stakeholders’ perspective

Abstract

Following the directives set by the European Union, Greece is entering a transition phase towards electromobility. The presence of electric vehicles on the Greek market is currently low relative to other countries. The Greek government has recently established new legislation introducing financial and tax incentives towards electric vehicle purchase for both private owners and companies. This paper investigates the perspectives of a group of stakeholders in response to this government initiative. Findings indicated that the financial and tax incentives set by the Greek government were a good first step towards the promotion of electric vehicles. However, aiming at an increased penetration rate of electric vehicles on the Greek market requires strategic allocation of public charging infrastructure and national coverage to enable electric vehicles to travel within and out of the urban core. Incentives should be also considerate of different socio-economic segments of the population to prevent inequalities and match their preferences. Also, the electricity provider should ensure that the network would be able to withstand the increased electricity demand that the public charging points and electric vehicles would require. Finally, successful transition towards electromobility would require promotion of electric vehicles as an act of environmental consciousness.