Efficiency of Governmental Policy and Programs to Stimulate the Use of Low-Emission and Electric Vehicles: The Case of Romania

Ioana C. Sechel and Florin Mariasiu
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Ioana C. Sechel: Automotive Engineering and Transports Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Bdul. Muncii 103-105, RO-400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Florin Mariasiu: Automotive Engineering and Transports Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Bdul. Muncii 103-105, RO-400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: The contemporary demands for massive reductions in industrial pollution caused by the transport sector, especially in large urban agglomerations, compel local and national authorities to propose, develop, and implement programs and policies that have the ultimate goal of significantly reducing (or eliminating) pollution. The aim of this article is to provide a primary analysis of the effectiveness of Romanian government policies in terms of reducing pollution (CO 2 emissions) caused by transportation (due to the “Rabla Plus” (RP) program, through which financial subsidies are granted for the purchase of a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) or battery electric vehicle (BEVs)). After analyzing the justification for the use of low-emission and electric vehicles in traffic (as a major solution to eliminate pollution), a comparative analysis of energy-efficient transport for Romania and Europe is presented in order to identify the directions in which it is necessary to develop and implement government policies specifically in Romania, considering a series of indicators chosen and considered by the authors to be important, including CO 2 emissions compared with the size of the road infrastructure, the number of registered vehicles, the number of passengers transported, and the quantity of goods transported. With the identification of the ability of government programs to encourage the acquisition and use of low-emission and electric vehicles in traffic, the efficiency achieved is calculated in terms of the net CO 2 emissions eliminated (average values of 1949.23 CO 2 tons/year and 1.71 CO 2 tons/vehicle). Furthermore, this aspect is also beneficial for analyses in terms of the economic costs involved (the associated costs are estimated to be 7034.17 EUR/ton of CO 2 eliminated from the transportation sector), identifying new directions of action that are more cost-effective and sustainable and on which government policies should focus in the future.

Keywords: energy efficiency; transport; CO 2 emission; electric vehicle; policy; financial subsidies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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