More and more consumers in Costa Rica are joining the ranks of electric vehicle use, realizing that reducing emissions is good for the environment. According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), in 2010 there were 233 electric vehicles in Costa Rica; as of June 2024, the number of electric vehicles has increased to 16,531 vehicles.
The Costa Rican website adiariocr.com reports that cars make up the majority of all electric vehicles, followed by specialized motor vehicles, then motorcycles, and to a lesser extent light vehicles, pickups, buses and minibuses.
The growth of the electric vehicle sector is also reflected in the import figures. The Association of Vehicle and Machinery Importers (AIVEMA) reports that in the first half of 2024, Costa Rica imported 6,739 electric vehicles; the number of electric vehicles imported in 2023 exceeds the total number of imports in the period between 2018 and 2022.
From an economic point of view, electric vehicles have advantages over vehicles that use fossil fuels, reducing consumers’ daily expenses. In addition, in the long run, electric vehicles are maintained less frequently compared to fuel vehicles.
Carlos Aguilar, head of the Association of Importers of Vehicles and Machinery (AIVM), said that 30 EV models were on display at the car show held at the ALESTE shopping center in Curridabat from July 5 to 7, 2024, for consumers who are still considering whether to buy an electric vehicle.
In 2018, Costa Rica enacted the Electric Mobility Incentives and Promotion Act, which implements tax exemptions for the importation and sale of electric vehicles, however it has been abused by dealers. Congressman Gilbert Jiménez noted that some dealerships have exceeded 40% marketing margins.
In an effort to ensure that EV consumers ultimately benefit from the tax credit, Jiménez has introduced a bill that would set a maximum marketing profit of 20 percent for EVs. If the bill is approved, dealers earning more than 20 percent of a vehicle’s value would be fined for failing to pay the tax correctly.
