Customs clearance of electric vehicles again canceled

The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission decided to reduce import duties on electric vehicles from 17% to 0%. The duty on electric trucks with a gross weight of up to 5 tons has been reduced from 15% to 5%. The absence of customs clearance does not cancel payment of other mandatory taxes and fees when buying an electric vehicle (excise tax and VAT).

Zero duty will be valid in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from September 2, 2016 to September 2017. After that, its action can be extended.

There is no production of electric vehicles in Russia, except for the electric “Lada” from the Volga Automobile Plant, therefore there is not much point in protecting your market with barrage import duties.

The ECE has already reduced import duties for the second time. The last time free customs clearance was valid from February 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015. Then the fees returned.

As it turned out, the electric vehicle market is very sensitive to the size of duties. In 2015, 684 electric vehicles were imported into the EEU countries, and only 28 in January-April 2016.

According to Avtostat, in Russia as of January 1, 2016, 647 electric vehicles were registered, represented by six models. The largest number falls on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV model - 237 units.


Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Next are Tesla Model S (152 pcs.), Nissan Leaf (145), Lada Ellada (91), Renault Twizy (14) and BMW i3 (8).

Electric cars are most popular in Moscow (235 pieces are registered) and in Primorsky Krai (65 pieces).

“The reduction of duties is intended to stimulate the use of environmentally friendly transport in the EAEU and create conditions for the formation of the electric vehicle market. The widespread use of passenger and freight electric vehicles should stimulate the development of charging infrastructure facilities, ”the Eurasian Economic Commission reported.

EEC Trade Minister Veronika Nikishina explained that resetting customs duties is temporary. If Russia develops its own production of electric vehicles, then import duties can be returned.

Reduced import duties do not apply to cars with hybrid engines, only to "clean" electric vehicles, such as Tesla.

By the way, the government is now considering a program for the development of electric vehicles in the Russian Federation until 2025.. It provides for the abolition of vehicle tax for electric vehicles, reduced rates on toll roads, free parking in cities, the ability to move along dedicated lanes for public transport and simplifying bureaucratic procedures for the construction of charging stations.

In traffic regulations, electric cars on dedicated lanes offer to be equated to taxi status, and for preferential parking they can enter a separate traffic sign 5.18.1 - “Parking space for an individual vehicle with an electric motor”.

The program proposes to establish a "mandatory share of electromobile equipment", which should be used in public transport. By 2020, such transport should be at least 50%.