Prague, Jan 25 (CTK) – The Czech government wants to use the EU money, promote electric cars and enhance the system of state support for environment-friendly boilers, it decided at its meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) told journalists.
Smog has tormented many Czech regions in the past days.
Sobotka said infrastructure must develop to enable an increase in the number of electric cars.
For example, the charging stations network is rather poor, Sobotka said before the cabinet meeting.
After the meeting, he said the EU money should be used for this purpose.
Sobotka said the present situation is a consequence of meteorological conditions which the government cannot influence, combined with extentsive air pollution.
The current air protection law enables a number of measures municipalities can take against smog, such as a regulation regime and low-emission zones, Sobotka continued.
These measures have not been used enough. It is not necessary to pass new laws, but the available measures should be applied by municipalities,” Sobotka said, adding such measures have been applied nowhere in the Czech Republic for the time being.
Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO) said the state will not force municipalities to introduce measures such as low-emission zones, but voters’ pressure will have the desired effect.
At present, about a thousand electric cars operate in the Czech Republic and about 15,000 CNG vehicles fulled by compressed natural gas.
According to the government’s National clean mobility plan, the number of hybrid cars should rise to 95,000 by 2025.
The main obstacle to an expansion of electric cars is their price up to three times higher than that of cars with combustion engine.
