MTI-ECONEWS — The Energy Ministry said in a social media post on Saturday that China’s BYD is the most popular brand among applicants to a government programme to support businesses’ purchases of electric vehicles.

The ministry said applications for subsidies to purchase over 1,500 BYD models have been submitted in the scheme.

Applications for support for purchasing over 1,100 Tesla models have been received, making the brand the second most popular in the scheme. Businesses have applied for support for the purchase of more than 500 Hyundai models, putting the brand in third place.

Other popular EV brands in the programme include Volvo, Kia, Volkswagen and Cenntro.

So far, applications for the purchase of some 6,800 EVs have been submitted in the programme that runs until the end of March. Businesses may apply for grants of between HUF 2.8m (EUR 7,000) and HUF 4m (EUR 10,000) per vehicle, depending on battery capacity, in the programme funded from the European Union’s REPowerEU.

As we wrote earlier, a new Chinese vehicle brand entered the Hungarian market.

CCIC reps visit ZalaZONE proving ground

MTI-ECONEWS – Representatives of the China Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC), the largest Chinese testing and certification organisation, have visited the ZalaZONE vehicle proving ground, in the west of Hungary, the Energy Ministry said in a post on social media on Sunday.

László Palkovics invited the delegation, the government commissioner for artificial intelligence. The sides discussed possible areas of cooperation, including European certification tasks of Chinese manufacturers, especially with regard to driver-assist and autonomous vehicle technologies. CCIC has a presence in 40 countries and regions and runs over 500 laboratories.

• read also: New Hungarian airline starts service in February from Budapest to Hong Kong

Businesses apply for subsidies to buy 6,700 EVs

MTI-ECONEWS – Over 5,400 applications have been submitted for HUF 26.2bn in subsidies in a scheme to support purchases of electric vehicles, the Energy Ministry said in a post on social media on Thursday.

Around 4,400 of the applications have already been approved, the ministry said. China’s BYD is the most popular brand among applicants and the Tesla Model Y the most popular model. Over one-fifth of the EVs businesses seek to purchase are light commercial vehicles. Businesses may apply for grants of between HUF 2.8m and HUF 4m per vehicle, depending on battery capacity, in the programme funded from the European Union’s REPowerEU. The scheme winds up at the end of March.