Tag Archive: Portugal

  1. Portugal strengthens sustainable mobility incentives

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    Sources: Battery Industry.Net, The Portugal News, Electrive

    The Portuguese government has launched a new national incentive programme to promote active and low-emission transportation, with a strong focus on two-wheelers, including electric bicycles, cargo bikes and motorcycles, and supporting infrastructure.

    Backed by a €17.6 million budget and administered through the Portuguese Environmental Fund (Fundo Ambiental), the scheme applies retroactively from 1 January 2025 and covers both new and previously purchased vehicles.

    Applications opened on 29 December and will remain available until 12 February 2026, or until the allocated budget is exhausted. The programme forms part of Portugal’s broader Green Mobility package, designed to encourage a shift toward cleaner, more sustainable modes of transport.

    Strong support for bicycles and cargo bikes

    A key part of the programme is financial support for bicycles, including cargo bikes, offering grants covering 50% of the purchase price, including VAT, with a maximum grant of €1,500 for electric cargo bikes and €1,000 for non-electric cargo bikes. Conventional pedelecs are eligible for grants of up to €750, while non-electric bicycles can receive up to €500.

    Private individuals may apply for funding for one bicycle, while commercial entities are eligible to apply for subsidies for up to four vehicles. The government sees these incentives as a significant tool for reducing car dependency, particularly in urban areas, and to promote cycling as a viable alternative for everyday transport.

    Incentives for other light electric vehicles

    In addition to bicycles, the programme also supports electric motorcycles, mopeds, e-scooters, tricycles, and quadricycles. For these vehicles, the government provides grants covering 50% of the purchase price, including VAT, up to a maximum of €1,500 per unit. As with bicycles, private individuals may receive support for one vehicle, while commercial applicants can apply for funding for up to four units.

    Investment in charging infrastructure

    The incentive scheme also includes funding for the installation of charging infrastructure in multi-family residential buildings. Charging stations are subsidised at 80% of the retail price, up to a maximum of €800 per unit. Electrical installation works are also supported at 80% of the cost, capped at €1,000 per parking space. Funding is limited to one charging station per property owner, with a maximum of ten charging stations per residential building.

    Supporting decarbonisation and green transition goals in Portugal

    According to the Portuguese government, the measures are designed to support the decarbonisation of the transport sector, “which is responsible for the majority of carbon emissions in Portugal.” The overarching objective is to improve environmental quality, reduce emissions, and encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable mobility solutions.

    Maria da Graça Carvalho, Portugal’s Minister for Environment and Energy, said: “We are committed to reducing emissions in the transport sector and everyone has a responsibility to make the best choices. The government is responsible for encouraging decarbonisation, helping people anticipate the green transition.”

  2. Porto, Portugal eyes shared bike network to boost sustainable mobility

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    Source: Away

    Porto needs public bicycles and fast, says TMP President.

    Porto has yet to implement a public bicycle-sharing system, but it is essential and should be introduced as soon as possible, according to Marco Martins, president of Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto (TMP). Martins emphasized the importance of developing a shared bike network across municipalities in the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) while ensuring collaboration with local authorities.

    “It’s something we want to invest in, naturally, but always in dialogue and consensus with the municipalities, which are the holders of the public space and the concession,” Martins told reporters upon arriving at the AMP headquarters in Porto. His first full-time day in the role began with a public transport commute from Gondomar via the Unir bus and Porto Metro.

    Currently, bike-sharing systems in the region operate at the municipal level. Martins pointed out the limitations of this approach, stating, “I can’t pick up a bike in Matosinhos and leave it in Gondomar, or in Gaia and leave it in Póvoa [de Varzim].”

    He stressed the need for an integrated mobility approach, where various transport options work together to improve accessibility. “The more transport is promoted, the more tools and alternatives there are in soft mobility, the more citizens can use them,” he explained.

    TMP, the newly established transport authority, will oversee the Unir network and manage the Andante ticketing system, which is used across all AMP public transport services. Additionally, two advisory bodies—the Metropolitan Mobility Council and the Advisory Council for Mobility Technologies—are set to be formed to address mobility challenges in the region.

    The idea of a public bike-sharing system in Porto is not new. In March last year, urban mobility expert Paula Teles advocated for the creation of a bicycle network integrated into the Andante system.

    “Porto doesn’t have this yet and it has to: public bicycles have to appear. And they have to appear quickly. Private companies alone aren’t enough. It has to be a public effort. We need to buy a lot of bicycles, […] they have to be almost free, and they have to be part of the Andante,” she stated.

    Paula Teles also highlighted the growing challenges of urban traffic, particularly in high-tourism areas, where cars are increasingly restricted due to the dominance of pedestrians.

  3. Portugal becomes the first EU country to reduce VAT on bicycle purchases

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    Source: Cycling Industry News, S. Cox

    The European Cyclists’ Federation has reported that Portugal has inscribed an amendment to the 2023 state budget, reducing VAT on bicycle sales.

    The stated goal of increasing cycling modal share to 10% by 2030 is the driving force for the move, resulting in customers being able to save hundreds of Euros when purchasing bicycles.

    This comes 1 year after the EU passed legislation enabling member states to apply reduced VAT rates on the supply, rental, and repair of bicycles, including e-bikes, with Portugal becoming the first country to make use of this possibility.

    Portuguese consumers will now be able to buy bicycles at the lowest VAT rate of 6% starting from 1 January 2023. The savings potential is important: for the purchase of an e-bike costing €2,000 under the current standard VAT rate, consumers would save almost €300 (under the assumption that manufacturers and outlets fully pass on the reduction).

    The amendment to the 2023 state budget was justified specifically with the goal that is inscribed in the Portuguese national cycling strategy of reaching a cycling modal share of 4% by 2025 and 10% by 2030. The explanatory text states: “Such an ambition, essential for the protection of the environment, the reduction of fossil fuel consumption, people’s health and economy and the quality of life in and around cities, naturally requires measures that stimulate the paradigm shift from car to bicycle.”

    In parallel to the introduction of the reduced VAT rate, the Portuguese Parliament also approved the continuation of the incentive scheme for low-emission vehicles, including conventional, electric, and cargo bikes, in 2023. This means that consumers will be able to benefit both from the reduced VAT rate and the purchase incentive. The only downturn? Funding for the incentive scheme has always been much lower than actual demand during the last years.

    On December 7th 2021 the Council of the EU revealed a “modernised” VAT directive that considered the rates applicable across a range of goods. As a result, consumers across the EU benefited from a reduction on the price of their bicycles and electric bikes thanks to a significant piece of policy reform trimming the VAT to be paid.

  4. NieuwsFiets.nu DealerTrip 2023: destination Portugal

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    Source: NieuwsFiets.nu

    The NieuwsFiets DealerTrip is back on the agenda and will travel to Bike Value in Portugal from 8 to 15 January 2023. As the registration period is much shorter than usual, this is a trip for quick decision-makers!

    As travel restrictions have been considerably relaxed again, the new NieuwsFiets.nu ‘DealerReis’ will travel to Portugal next year. This trip will take place in January, and due to the rapid approach of the date, interested entrepreneurs will have to decide quickly. It is certain that it will again be an exciting professional trip, heading to the beating heart of the Portuguese bicycle industry. The program of factory visits is currently being finalized, but visits to companies such as SRAM, Polisport/Bobike, Miranda, and Fritz Jou (producer of QWIC, among others) have been confirmed.

    DealerTravel to Vietnam is too risky due to corona

    The last NieuwsFiets.nu DealerReis took place in 2019 when travel to China was still possible. A trip to Vietnam was originally planned for 2020, but disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed this visit. “That trip has been postponed twice and was in principle planned for November this year. And although it is currently possible to travel to Vietnam, I think it is too risky,” says organizer Arnauld Hackmann. “Suppose COVID-19 flares up again and Vietnam starts re-instituting quarantine rules, then we have a big problem. I first want to see how things are going there in the coming months, but Vietnam will definitely remain on the wish list for the near future.”

    Portugal: The main production location in the EU bicycle market

    In addition to NieuwsFiets.nu, Hackmann also organizes dealer trips for the German trade magazine Velobiz.de. Editor-in-chief Markus Fritsch proposed the idea of ​​visiting Portugal as an alternative to Vietnam, which has Bike Value in Agueda, where a lot of the bicycle industry is located. “The first discussions were held during Eurobike. November, the month in which the trips normally take place, was not feasible, so we opted for the beginning of January,” explains Hackmann. “An additional advantage is that this trip is a lot cheaper than the Asia trips of the past.”

    The northern Portuguese metropolis of Porto is one of the most beautiful cities on the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, the port city is now an important center of the European bicycle industry; more than one-fifth of bicycles produced in Europe roll off the assembly line in Portugal. The country on the Iberian Atlantic coast has thus developed into the most important production location in the EU bicycle market. In addition, Portugal is an important location for the production of bicycle frames and other parts.

    With the NieuwsFiets.nu DealerTrip 2023, travelers take a look behind the factory gates of eight companies that produce in Portugal from 8 to 15 January. Of course, getting to know the destination’s culture and people is not neglected during this time. During the 8-day trip, there is extensive of opportunity for dealers to network and exchange experiences.

    Registration is open until 1 November 2022

    Find more information on the NieuwsFiets.nu DealerTravel 2023, here.