The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that in the coming months his Executive will publish new calls for the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation of the Electric and Connected Vehicle (Perte VEC) “for more than 1,700 million euros.”
This initiative will provide, according to official sources, more than 5,000 million euros of public funds to turn Spain into a “hub of electric mobility.” Some 3.3 billion euros have already been mobilized for some 1,000 projects launched throughout Spain linked to innovation in the electric vehicle value chain and battery production.
“We have already committed about 80% of the funds from the first phase of the plan for this important industrial sector of our country such as the electric vehicle, and throughout this year we will reach 100% of the planned funds,” has pointed out.
Specifically, the Government announced at the end of January a Perte VEC III for the beginning of April, which initially had 300 million. In mid-March, it was increased to 500 million euros (300 million in subsidies and 200 million in loans) with the aim of promoting the manufacture of electric cars in Spain.
This additional call is added to the one announced in June by the then Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Héctor Gómez, of 1,250 million euros (250 million euros in subsidies and 1,000 million in loans) from the addendum to European funds. , which is finally expected for the second half of the year and which will be managed by the National Innovation Company Enisa.
The president highlighted that Spain offers “solid reasons” for business confidence and to attract industry, and has valued the 2.5% growth of the Spanish economy in 2023.
Sánchez traveled to Vitoria this Tuesday to visit the expansion, redesign and adaptation works of the Mercedes-Benz plant to produce electric vehicles starting in 2026, where they highlighted the importance of the automotive sector in Spain. “The automotive sector represents the present and future legacy,” he added. He was accompanied by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, and the Government delegate in the Basque Country, María Soledad Garmendia.
The President of the Government has highlighted that Spain is currently defined as “the eighth largest producer of vehicles in the world and the second in the EU, with a share of 80% of production destined for export.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that the future is built “with the double green and digital transition” of the economy, two transformations that “are already marking the automotive and smart mobility sector.”
Pedro Sánchez has assured that, among all, a “great effort” is being made and action is being taken not only in production, but also in the demand that must be “incentivized” with the Moves and Moves Fleets programs to “promote the transformation of the entire automobile fleet towards sustainability”. According to him, they are programs that have already granted 160 million and have more than 130,000 beneficiaries.
He added that all this momentum is going to be complemented “with something important” such as the draft bill on sustainable mobility. “Sustainable mobility as a social right, which also reinforces the commitment of the entire Spanish economy to the decarbonization of transport,” he said.
Sánchez has indicated that a transformation of this magnitude requires addressing the “requalification” of employees, as well as the training of young people. In this sense, he highlighted that more than 6,000 vocational training places in the automotive sector have been created, a figure that “will continue to grow in the coming years.”
“The figures also reflect our commitment to innovation. Spanish investment in R&D grew in 2022 for the eighth consecutive year, reaching 19,325 million, the highest record of the figures,” he stated.
