Eco car sales triple in Romania in the first half of 2017

The sales of eco cars went up 215.75% in the first six months of 2017 in Romania, to reach 982 units, according to data from the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA), quoted by Agerpres. A total of 311 units were sold during the same period of 2016. But the market is still small in Romania, as the sales of eco cars took up 1.7% of the total domestic car sales. The sales of electric cars went up 197%, while hybrid units went up 218% between January and June of this year. Some 265 electric and hybrid cars were sold in June of this year, 56% more than in the previous month, when 169 units were sold. The most purchased fully electric cars on the local market were the Mercedes-Benz ones, with 32 units. BMW follows with 29 units, Renault with 12 cars, Audi with 8, Volkswagen and Volvo with 5 cars each, and Mitsubishi and Porsche with 4 units each. Most hybrid cars sold locally in the first six months of this year were Toyota ones, with 791 units. Lexus followed with 72 cars sold, Kia with 8 and Mercedes-Benz with 2. A new run of the Cash-for-Bangers program version for electric and hybrid cars Rabla Plus is currently taking place in the country. The program offers a subsidy of EUR 10,000 to those looking to acquire a new 100% electric car. The subsidy for plug-in hybrid cars is of EUR 4,500. EC urges Romania to create charging stations for electric cars editor@romania-insider.com