According to Experts Club, electric vehicles in Ukraine will remain more cost-effective than internal combustion engine vehicles even after full taxation on their import is restored, says Serhiy Kuyun, director of the “A-95” Consulting Group.
According to Enkorr, a 20% VAT is set to be reinstated on electric vehicle imports into Ukraine starting January 1, 2027. Meanwhile, the preferential regime in effect until the end of 2026 exempts electric vehicles from VAT and import duties.
According to Kuyun’s assessment, the elimination of this exemption will make electric vehicles more expensive to purchase, but it will not deprive them of their main advantage—significantly lower operating costs.
“Even with all taxes included, an electric vehicle remains cost-effective. The electricity needed to charge it is significantly cheaper than fuel for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine,” the expert notes.
The savings on operating costs are particularly noticeable with high annual mileage. If an electric vehicle consumes about 15–20 kWh of electricity per 100 km, then when charged at home, the cost of such a trip remains several times lower than the cost of gasoline or diesel fuel for a vehicle of a similar class.
An additional advantage of electric vehicles is the simpler design of their powertrain. They lack a number of components and consumables typical of vehicles with internal combustion engines, which potentially reduces the cost of regular maintenance.
According to Kuyun, the Ukrainian market has already reached a stage of development where tax incentives are no longer the main driver of demand for electric vehicles. In recent years, the model lineup has expanded significantly, the used-car market has grown, and the charging station infrastructure is developing.
At the same time, the reinstatement of the VAT could have a noticeable impact on the market immediately before the end of the tax incentive period. Buyers planning to purchase an electric vehicle may try to import and register it by the end of 2026 to take advantage of the current tax incentives.
As a result, electric vehicle imports may accelerate further in the final months of 2026, after which the market may undergo a correction period in early 2027.
For comparison: with a customs value of 20,000 euros for an electric vehicle, the 20% VAT refund alone potentially increases the tax component by approximately 4,000 euros, without taking into account the specifics of determining the tax base and other payments. However, for an owner with high annual mileage, part of this difference is gradually offset by lower energy and maintenance costs.
Analysts at Experts Club note that the future dynamics of the Ukrainian electric vehicle market will no longer depend solely on tax incentives. The cost of electricity and automotive fuel, the development of charging infrastructure, prices for new and used electric vehicles, the condition of batteries, and the residual value of vehicles on the secondary market will become increasingly important.
Therefore, the reinstatement of full taxation may alter the structure of imports and slow the market’s growth rate; however, it does not, in and of itself, eliminate the economic advantages of electric vehicles for a significant portion of drivers.
Original source: Enkorr – “Electric Vehicles Will Remain Cost-Effective Even With All Taxes — Expert”.
In Romania, a new payment system for using national roads will take effect on October 1, 2026: the cost of the vignette for passenger cars will depend on the vehicle’s environmental standard, while a per-kilometer TollRo system will be implemented for trucks weighing more than 3.5 metric tons.
Romania’s National Road Infrastructure Management Company (CNAIR) has confirmed that the new vignette and TollRo rates will take effect on October 1, 2026. The new model is based on the principle that vehicles that pollute the environment more or use the road infrastructure more intensively pay more.
Three rate categories are being introduced for passenger cars and minibuses with up to nine seats. Electric vehicles and Euro VI-compliant cars will pay 254 lei per year, Euro IV–V vehicles will pay 292 lei, and Euro III and older vehicles will pay 330 lei. A one-day vignette will cost 22, 26, and 29 lei, respectively. For a 10-day period, the fee will be 30, 35, or 39 lei; for 30 days, 48, 55, or 62 lei; and for 60 days, 76, 87, or 99 lei, depending on the vehicle’s emissions class.
As a result, for owners of new vehicles, the annual fee will remain virtually unchanged and will even decrease slightly compared to the current rate, while for older vehicles, it will increase significantly. Specifically, owners of vehicles meeting the Euro III standard or lower will pay approximately 25% more for an annual vignette than under the current system.
Previously purchased vignettes for passenger cars will remain valid until their expiration dates.
For commercial vehicles with a maximum permitted weight exceeding 3.5 metric tons, the TollRo system will be introduced on October 1. Unlike the traditional vignette, the fee will be calculated based on the actual distance traveled by the truck, its technical specifications, and its emission level.
CNAIR confirms that the new system will apply specifically to trucks weighing over 3.5 metric tons.
At the same time, Romania is abolishing a number of individual tolls for crossing bridges over the Danube. Starting October 1, tolls will no longer be collected at the Fetești-Cernavodă bridge complex—one of the main road routes leading to Romania’s Black Sea coast—as well as on the Giurgiu-Vadu Oi bridge.
The toll on the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge when traveling from Romania to Bulgaria is also being eliminated. However, the toll in the opposite direction—from Ruse to Giurgiu—is collected by the Bulgarian side and remains in effect. The toll for crossing the Calafat-Vidin bridge will also remain in effect.
CNAIR reported that drivers who have purchased toll passes in advance for the bridges where tolls are being abolished will be able to request a refund for unused trips.
The new system is part of a broader reform of road tolls in Romania. Starting January 15, 2027, Romania’s electronic toll collection system is set to become compatible with the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS), which will allow for its integration with similar systems in other EU countries.
AVIS Ukraine (VIP-Rent FDI) has renewed nearly 17% of its fleet over the past nine months, adding 60 new vehicles for rental and operational leasing. This marks the company’s largest fleet renewal in the past several years.
More than half of the new additions are SUVs. The fleet now includes, in particular, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Volkswagen Touareg R-Line, Audi A6, and Hyundai Staria minivans. The new vehicles are already available to the company’s customers in Ukraine.
Toyota and Volkswagen accounted for the largest share of the fleet update, together making up over 55% of the new additions. Toyota’s share was 30.5%, while Volkswagen’s was about 25%. New Skoda and Hyundai vehicles were also added to the fleet.
Among individual models, the Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Tiguan saw the largest increases. The company attributes this to demand for crossovers for travel and all-wheel-drive pickups used by corporate clients, infrastructure projects, and international organizations.
The Skoda Octavia A8—targeted specifically at the corporate segment—and the Hyundai Staria, designed for group transportation and serving large teams, also accounted for a significant share of the new fleet.
AVIS Ukraine simultaneously expanded its premium segment with the addition of the Volkswagen Touareg R-Line and the Audi A6. The company targets these vehicles primarily at business clients, diplomatic missions, and international organizations.
Diesel vehicles formed the bulk of the new additions—61% of all deliveries. The company attributes this composition to the fuel efficiency of diesel models over long distances and their high demand in the corporate segment.
At the same time, over 15% of deliveries in 2026 consisted of hybrid Toyota RAV4s. In this way, AVIS Ukraine is gradually increasing the share of fuel-efficient vehicles in its fleet.
The company has been operating in the Ukrainian market under the Avis brand since 1997, and under the Payless brand since 2016. It provides short-term car rental services for individuals, as well as operating leases and fleet management for corporate clients.
AVIS is an international provider of car rental and operating lease services, with a presence in 185 countries worldwide.
In August 2026, Ukrainians purchased 20,600 used passenger cars imported from abroad, which is 9% less than in the same month of 2025, according to a report by “Ukravtoprom” on its Telegram channel.
Compared to July of this year, demand for such cars fell by 8.4%.
Gasoline-powered cars accounted for the largest share of this segment of the auto market in August, increasing their share by 4 percentage points compared to August 2025—to 52%.
Next came diesel cars—as in the previous year, their share stood at 17%, while the share of electric vehicles fell to 17% from 26%; however, they still outpaced hybrids, whose share was 11% (6%). The share of cars with LPG systems remained unchanged at 3%.
The average age of imported used cars was 8.7 years.
The Volkswagen Golf confidently tops the list of the ten most popular imported used models with 875 units. Next are the VW Tiguan—775 units, the Nissan Rogue—707 units, the Audi Q5—695 units, the Skoda Octavia—633 units, the Renault Megane—532 units, the Tesla Model Y—494 units, the Tesla Model 3—480 units, the
Nissan Leaf—454 units, and the Ford Escape—408 units.
As reported with reference to “Ukravtoprom,” in 2025, Ukrainians purchased 274,300 used passenger cars imported from abroad, which is 24% more than in 2024. Following the Volkswagen Golf, the top three most popular models included two Tesla electric vehicles—the Model Y and Model 3.
Sales of new passenger cars in August of this year fell by 27% compared to the same month in 2025—to nearly 5,000 units, which is also 14% less than the figure for July of this year, Ukravtoprom reported on its Telegram channel.
According to the association, the most popular brand remains Japan’s Toyota, which increased sales by 9% compared to August of last year—to 1,092 units.
Skoda holds second place with 600 units (+47%), while Renault took third with 361 units (-32%).
The top ten also included BYD—229 units (-69%), which ranked second last year amid rising demand for electric vehicles; Hyundai—261 units (-34%); Volkswagen—260 units (-51%); Mazda—187 units (+7%); BMW—186 units (-45%); Suzuki—156 units (-32%); and Mitsubishi—122 units (-2%).
The best-selling vehicle of the month was the Toyota RAV-4 crossover (in August 2025, it was the Renault Duster).
According to “Ukravtoprom,” a total of over 43,700 new passenger cars were sold in the country from January through August, which is 5% less than last year.
As previously reported, according to “Ukravtoprom,” the new passenger car market grew by 17% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 81,300 units.
auto market, CAR, SALES, TOYOTA, UKRAINE
Starting September 1, the Registry of Type Approval Certificates and Manufacturer-Issued Certificates of Conformity for Wheeled Vehicles and Equipment will become operational in Ukraine, marking a full transition from paper-based records to a unified electronic system, according to a statement from the Ministry of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine.
“We are digitizing a procedure that has essentially remained paper-based for years. The registry makes it possible to view all necessary information in a single system and verify it without paper documents,” said Serhiy Derkach, First Deputy Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport, as quoted in the press release.
The ministry clarified that the registry is currently operating in a pilot phase, with 33 vehicle manufacturers and 20 certification bodies participating in the testing.
The next phase is expected to begin on September 27, when the new technical regulation for the approval of the design of wheeled vehicles, their components, and equipment takes effect.
Under the technical regulation, certificates will be issued exclusively in electronic form and entered into the Registry.
It is noted that previously issued paper certificates will remain valid, and once the relevant information about them is entered into the registry, no separate reissuance will be required.
Among other things, the ministry reported that it is working on changing the approach to vehicles imported into Ukraine from abroad.
“The current practice in Ukraine of certifying such vehicles prior to their first state registration does not correspond to the model applied in the European Union,” the ministry explained.
Specifically, as part of European integration, Ukraine must transition from certifying imported used vehicles to requiring mandatory technical inspections prior to their first state registration in Ukraine.
