This year, over 1,300 applications for Transport Malta schemes that help people make the change to more sustainable vehicles were received, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg told The Malta Independent.

This year, the government has allocated €3.5 million in schemes with the aim of sustaining the environment through the purchasing of new environmentally friendly vehicles, electric vehicles or plug in hybrids. The schemes include the purchasing of new environment-friendly vehicles, purchasing new electric vehicles with and without scrapping or even purchasing new electric motorcycles, scooters or mopeds.  

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had mentioned that Malta will eventually changeover from conventionally-powered vehicles to electric and hybrid cars to safeguard future generations. During the first E-mobility summit last year, Muscat set a high standard for Malta, saying that the Maltese Islands will be the first European state running solely on electric cars.

Transport Minister Borg told this newsroom that the ministry is in talks with two other important ministries - environment and energy. “We need to look into different models that are provided to people so that they would be able to charge their vehicles outside their homes or near them.” He said that there are ongoing talks to introduce Enemalta sub stations to produce electricity for electric vehicles.

He mentioned that last year, there was also a committee set up under the previous Environment Minister Jose Herrera, which was chaired by MEP Miriam Dali and looked into the environmental aspect of electric vehicles.

Borg stressed that such changes are not just based on the government, but determined by the manufactures which produce such electric and sustainable vehicles. He stressed that when purchasing such products, people expect the product to have the best price value, best design and good standard batteries.

“Currently all politicians, not just Maltese or European, are adding pressure on manufactures to improve their products, not just for themselves, but so that people will go out and buy them”