Russia has announced a plan – approved by its government on August 23, 2021 – to increase the number of electric vehicles in the country over the next three years and to build a market for battery-powered cars, reports Bloomberg. The strategy aims for EVs to reach 10% of all cars produced by the end of 2030; Vygon Consulting reports that EVs currently make up less than 0.2% of Russia’s total passenger-car fleet.

From 2021 to 2024, the country hopes to see an increase to 25,000 electric vehicles and over 9,000 charging stations. To facilitate this wider adoption, the government intends to offer incentives such as loans, easier leasing terms and free travel on toll roads from 2022. According to the Russian press office, this plan’s implementation will cost approximately 591₽ billion ($8 billion).

“A number of countries have already announced their desire to abandon transport with internal combustion engines,” stated prime minister Mikhail Mishustin. “It’s obvious that electric cars and cars that run on more environmentally friendly power units are the future. And we also need to actively develop this sector.”