The government has decided to relaunch a subsidy scheme for owners to replace their old motorcycles with new electric ones, as well as a subsidy scheme for owners to scrap their old diesel-powered vehicles, the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) has announced.
The government rolled out the two subsidy schemes last year for the first time. Their respective application periods ended in March this year.
The new application periods for the two relaunched schemes will start on Thursday.
A DSPA statement last week said that the government has decided to roll out the two subsidy schemes again after studying opinions and feedback on the two programmes gathered from civil society.
The previous application period for the subsidy scheme for replacing old motorcycles with new electric ones started on March 1 last year and ended on March 31 this year, while the previous application period for the subsidy scheme for scrapping old diesel-powered vehicles started on September 15 last year and ended on March 15 this year.
The amount of the relaunched subsidy scheme for replacing old motorcycles with new electric ones will remain unchanged from the scheme’s previous application round, at 3,500 patacas.
The relaunched subsidy scheme, which will start on Thursday, will cover motorcycles that were first registered on or before December 31, 2013.
This time, however, the subsidy scheme will run in two phases, according to last week’s statement.
The scheme’s first-phase application will run between Thursday and May 31 next year, covering motorcycles that were first registered on or before December 31, 2010.
The second-phase application will run between June 1 next year and May 31, 2025, covering motorcycles that were first registered between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013.
Last week’s DSPA statement also noted that those who benefit from the 3,500-pataca subsidy will also be exempted from paying the new vehicle’s first registration fee, 3,600 patacas for “light” motorcycles and 4,400 patacas for “heavy” motorcycles, as well as the fee for its temporary vehicle registration plate, 900 patacas, i.e., the red plate with white “EX” and numbers.
The statement went on to point out that owners who replace their old motorcycles with a new heavy e-motorcycle can save a total of 8,800 patacas, comprising the 3,500-pataca subsidy, its first registration fee of 4,400 patacas, and its temporary vehicle registration plate fee of 900 patacas.
Scrapping old diesel-powered vehicles
The relaunched subsidy scheme for scrapping old diesel-powered vehicles, which will also start on Thursday, will cover vehicles that were first registered on or before December 31, 2013.
The subsidy scheme will also run in two phases. The first-phase application will run between Thursday and May 31 next year, covering vehicles that were first registered on or before December 31, 2008.
The second-phase application will run between June 1 next year and May 31, 2025, covering vehicles that were first registered between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013.
According to last week’s statement, each eligible old diesel-powered vehicle owner will benefit from a subsidy ranging between 25,000 patacas and 155,000 patacas depending on their respective vehicles’ type and specification.
In the subsidy scheme’s previous application round, which ran between September 15 last year and March 15 this year, each eligible vehicle owner benefitted from a subsidy ranging between 25,000 patacas and 115,000 patacas.
In the relaunched scheme that will start on Thursday, according to last week’s statement, the subsidy amounts for old diesel-powered passenger vehicles will be 30,000 patacas for those with up to nine seats, 70,000 patacas for those with 10 to 16 seats, 75,000 patacas for those with 17 to 30 seats, and 85,000 patacas for those with 31 or more seats.
According to last week’s statement, the subsidy amounts for old lorries, vans or other types of diesel vehicles will be 25,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of up to 1.9 tonnes, 40,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 1.9 and up to 5.5 tonnes, 55,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 5.5 and up to 10 tonnes, 65,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 10 and up to 13 tonnes, 80,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 13 and up to 16 tonnes, 100,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 16 and up to 24 tonnes, 115,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 24 and up to 30 tonnes, and 155,000 patacas for those with a gross weight of over 30 tonnes.
In the subsidy scheme’s previous application round, owners of old lorries, vans or other types of diesel vehicles with a gross weight of over 24 tonnes benefitted from a subsidy of 115,000 patacas. This is the only different subsidy category between the scheme’s previous application round and its upcoming new application round.
