Electric cars: Impressive rise of Greece in the readiness index

Greece’s rise in the Readiness Index for the Use of Electric Cars 2022 compiled by LeasePlan (EV Readiness Index 2022) was by leaps and bounds. Our country marked the biggest improvement, collecting 23 points against 16 it had collected in 2021 and climbing 3 places in the ranking (from 17th to 14th).

The company’s EV Readiness Index analyzes the degree of readiness for the adoption of electric cars in 22 European countries based on three factors: the size of the EV market, the maturity of the charging infrastructure and the financial incentives given by governments for using EV.

Of the three factors examined, Greece recorded the highest score in the total cost of use, while the increase of the EV market share in the country also contributed to this improved picture.

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Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom remained at the top of the rankings this year as well, still being the best-prepared countries for the EVs transition, while the Czech Republic and Poland proved to be the least EV-ready countries for 2022.

High demand, lack of infrastructure

Overall, based on the findings of this year’s Index, the number of European drivers interested in switching to e-mobility is constantly increasing. Nevertheless, the lack of available charging infrastructure continues to be a brake on the adoption of EVs across the European continent.

In almost all European markets examined, the popularity of EVs is growing, as more and more electric models become available in each category. At the same time, EVs are now more affordable than ever.

Their competitive costs are mainly due to the comparatively lower prices of electricity compared to the increased prices of diesel and gasoline and the friendlier tax arrangements for electric vehicles. Nevertheless, the charging infrastructure continues to lag behind, with its lack becoming more and more apparent as the number of EVs on the roads increases.

The CEO of LeasePlan Hellas, Konstantinos Petroutsos, commented: “The continuous improvement of Greece’s position in the LeasePlan EV Readiness Index proves that more and more Greek drivers are ready to switch to e-mobility. The fact that, among the factors taken into account, Greece received the highest score in terms of the cost of using EV, proves that government initiatives and financial incentives seem to continue to work: They make the transition to e-mobility – except for one more “green” – and a more advantageous choice. However, we must point out that in our country – as well as across Europe – the strengthening of charging infrastructure is crucial for the penetration of electricity. Governments across Europe need to invest directly in strong and reliable public charging infrastructure.”