Pending a possible renewal of the Moves Fleets Plan, the initiative by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), the speakers at the International Mobility Portal Summit are calling for direct grants.
Why? “Because applying for them is a real headache,” says Pablo de Regoyos, Head of SmartMobility for Companies at Iberdrola, at the event organised by Mobility Portal España.
He explains: “They award them in an incentivising manner, which means you must apply for them and, until they are granted, you cannot lift a finger.”
The projects submitted for this aid include both the acquisition of electric or fuel cell vehicles that replace combustion vehicles, and the development of charging infrastructure.
The files selected in the latest edition include the acquisition of 6,268 light vehicles (from mopeds to vans) and the installation of 1,333 chargers.
In total, the funds allocated for the three calls for proposals of the program add up to more than 38 million euros, managed by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE).
Urko Cantalapiedra , Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Veltium Smart Chargers, agrees in this regard.
“If the aid were direct, adoption would probably be much faster,” he says.
As in turn, he highlights: “We should consider a simplified Moves for companies with an average of between nine and two employee , to further accelerate the incorporation of the electric vehicle.”
To this, the Iberdrola representative adds another additional modification that should be made to the program.
Currently, subsidies are distributed among all the Autonomous Communities and each one implements them as it deems appropriate, which represents a difficulty for companies.
In the last call, the Autonomous Communities with the highest number of proposals with a favorable file were Catalonia, with 36 projects awarded, Andalusia, with 32, and Madrid, with 28.
If a company has headquarters in four or five communities, it is possible that it will encounter differences in the conditions for applying for subsidies.
“In some you might have the necessary funds to request them, while in others you don’t, the procedures may vary, in one you may be asked to send a photo and in another you may not, among other possible requirements,” says Pablo de Regoyos.
And he details: “I have put out to tender a service so that Iberdrola clients can request aid, and the result is that around 70 per cent of it is allocated to this service to process the documentation, due to the complexity of the process.”
In this context, for companies it not only represents a challenge, but also a great risk and in many cases it is not profitable.
Meanwhile, Fernando Nevado, Technical Sales Advisor at Fronius, suggests an additional change, which consists of linking this aid with the production of renewable energy, “so that these projects are technically and economically viable.”
But what happens with the Moves III Plan?
The program for individuals concludes on July 31 and the sector hopes that a fourth call will be launched during the second half of this year.
As well as, it demands improvements.
In the absence of confirmation of the continuity of the subsidy, Guillermo López Arias, Head of Sales at Kempower Iberia & LATAM, points out: “This instability slows down investments a bit.”
The budget managed by the IDAE for these was 400 million euros, which was later expanded to 1,200 million.
Therefore, Fernando León, Mobility and Electrification Specialist at KIA Spain, highlights that at the European level, this aid is at a “medium-high” level in terms of its amount.
“But if no one receives them and no one bets on them, then the main problem lies in an unnecessary level of bureaucracy that could be resolved directly through changes in taxation, such as eliminating VAT,” he says.
These changes are essential, especially in aid for individuals and small businesses, since it is not as easy for them to invest in a car as it can be for a large company.
In summary, what would need to be done to make the Moves ecosystem work better?
“That they be direct, with the same rules throughout Spain and that sanctioning regimes be established,” says Pablo de Regoyos.
In fact, according to the Iberdrola representative, a decision should be made this month on whether additional funds will be allocated, as well as what improvements will be implemented.
It should be noted that, in February, President Pedro Sánchez highlighted at the IV Forum of the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC) that in the coming weeks they would review Moves III in collaboration with the sector.
In this sense, he assured that they would redouble their efforts, both in supporting aid plans and in promoting charging infrastructure.
However, there is still no news in this regard.
Relive all the panels of the International Mobility Portal Summit:
