This will provide convenient and fast access to more than 300 charging stations nationwide within a single app. Elektrum Drive is the largest provider of electric vehicle charging services in Latvia and is also available to customers across the Baltics.
In autumn 2021, the charging station development programme in Latvia ended , resulting in the biggest network in the Baltic states. However, the forth reason is the most relevant now - the constantly growing fuel prices that recently made an extreme jump.
12 YEARS IN THE MAKING The very first EV charging station in Latvia was opened in 2010 with the first registered electric car coming up a year later. In 2012, official announcements were made, revealing the country and EU's plans, generally promising to take care of infrastructure and subsidizing EV purchases for, at least, municipalities.
Compared to personal vehicles, the public transport only emits 1% of CO2 in Riga and 1,8% in the country, while bikes emit zero CO2 and consumes no electricity. Producing EVs, no matter how clean they are while driving, has many shady affects on the world.
Around Christmas 2021, the Latvian government agreed on providing a 2250 - 4500 EUR reduction grant for every newly purchased EV or plug-in hybrid car in order to help upgrade the national car fleet to something greener. One of few restrictions was the price of vehicles (below 60,000 EUR), and the total amount of funding is 10,000,000 EUR.
There are also so many renewable and safe ways of getting electricity in the country these days - sun, wind, water stream, waves, you name it; most of them are employed in Latvia with sun and wind gaining more and more of momentum as we speak.