Automobile manufacturers and importers criticize the Rabla 2025 program

„Although the consultation process was supposed to be a real mechanism for integrating industry expertise into public policy, in reality, it turned out to be just a formal exercise, without practical consequences. Despite the numerous observations submitted in writing, the substantiated technical documents and the discussions held during the official consultation, none of the substantive proposals were taken up,” said a statement sent by APIA on Friday.

Furthermore, APIA also had a direct meeting with the Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, during which we presented detailed arguments and concrete solutions, including the need to increase the eco-ticket for electric vehicles to 27,500 lei.

“We appreciated the openness and constructive tone of the dialogue, but the final published guide proves that these arguments were ultimately ignored. Basically, the document remains unchanged from the initial version, which sends a worrying signal: the voice of specialists and the automotive market does not count in the decision-making process,” the document also states.

According to APIA, the ministry chose to keep the eco-ticket level for electric vehicles at 18,500 lei. On paper, this would mean that, from the 120 million lei allocated, a larger number of cars could be financed.

In reality, however, the experience of the last year is clear: demand was weak, the budget remained unspent, and electromobility stagnated.

APIA points out that maintaining the same level of support will inevitably lead to the same result – money stuck in accounts, instead of new electric cars on the roads.

„This raises the legitimate question: do we want a successful program or just a bureaucratic exercise? The automotive industry has come up with a clear and substantiated proposal: increasing the eco-ticket to 27,500 lei for electric and hydrogen vehicles; allocating 70% of the budget (140 million lei) for electric and plug-in hybrids, the remaining 60 million lei for other technologies. We are aware that even in this scenario the budget would not have been fully consumed. However, the major difference is that, with stronger support, market penetration would have been significantly higher, and electromobility would have had the chance to enter a growth trajectory,” the press release quoted above also states.

Another major point brought up by APIA was the predictability of the program in the medium and long term.

„Only through a clear and stable calendar can consumers and companies plan their investments, and the industry can adapt its strategies. The ministry agreed, in principle, that predictability is essential and promised future discussions dedicated to this subject. However, if these promises do not turn into concrete measures, the industry’s confidence in the dialogue with the authorities will be seriously affected. APIA’s conclusion? Romania needs a RABLA program that is a real tool for transformation, not a scheme that repeats the mistakes of the past. APIA calls for an efficient, balanced and courageous program that puts electromobility where it belongs: at the center of Romania’s environmental and transport policies”; according to the cited source.