Electric vehicle

BELGRADE - The Serbian government on Thursday adopted a directive on subsidies for purchases of new exclusively electrically powered vehicles as part of a set of measures aimed at improving air quality.

Under the directive, the subsidies range from 250 euros to 5000 euros, depending on the vehicle type.

More than 105,000 electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in Türkiye in 2024, pointing to a 45.9 percent increase from the previous year in a market where total vehicle sales rose only 0.5 percent.

The share of EVs in total sales rose from 7.5 percent in 2023 to 10.7 percent last year, according to data from the Automotive Distributors' and Mobility Association (ODMD).

Türkiye's first domestic electric vehicle producer Togg has delivered a total of 49,676 cars to date.

In 2023, the company sold 19,583 units of its T10X model.

Togg's sales surged 53.6 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year and reached 30,093 units.

In December, the EV company delivered 5,732 cars.

The increase in auto prices will be limited due to fierce competition in 2025, when vehicle sales are expected to be around 1.2 million units, according to industry representatives.

Electric vehicles will capture a larger share in sales, while carmakers will continue to see lower profit, they also said.

Hundreds of travelers found themselves stranded on Christmas Day near Livadi, Arachova, as sub-zero temperatures caused severe traffic disruptions. Initial reports blamed electric vehicles (EVs) for the gridlock, citing alleged technical issues exacerbated by the cold.

Electric car breakdowns, partly blamed by Greek traffic police for a roughly 5-kilometer traffic jam near the Parnassos ski resort on Christmas Day, have sparked questions about whether freezing temperatures can impair EV performance.

The traffic jam that occurred on Christmas Day on Mount Parnassus, specifically on the road from Livadi to Arachova, highlighted the challenges faced by electric vehicles in extreme conditions.

New car sales across the European Union dropped by 1.9% in November, reflecting the ongoing challenges in the automotive sector, as weak demand continues to impact the region's largest car manufacturers. Despite this overall decline, Bulgaria experienced a notable uptick in new car registrations, with a 14% increase in November, reaching 3,956 units.

Türkiye currently ranks first in Europe in terms of socket power and the number of fast (DC) sockets per electric vehicle, according to Mustafa Yılmaz, president of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

Togg was once again the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) brand in the Turkish market in November, well ahead of its foreign competitors in sales, such as Tesla, BMW and Mercedes.

Local EV maker Togg sold 4,211 cars last month, when the EV market in the country expanded by 20.8 percent year-on-year to 13,544. Togg's share in total EV sales was 32 percent.