The import of electric vehicles in Kosovo is continuously increasing, while citizens are demanding the removal of customs duties and subsidies from the state for the purchase of these ecological vehicles. This topic was addressed in the latest show “Shtylla”, produced by KosovaPress, where official data and opinions from citizens and importers on the growing trend of electric vehicles and their impact on the environment and economy were presented.
The Kosovo Government has asked us to know why our country still has customs duties on electric vehicles, but they have not provided details.
According to data from Kosovo Customs, during 2024 alone, the total value of imports of electric and hybrid vehicles reached over 114 million euros, while in the period January-May 2025, 1 vehicles were imported with a value of 539 million euros.
The Head of Risk Analysis at Kosovo Customs, Visar Zakuti, tells KosovaPress that all vehicles, including electric and hybrid ones, are subject to customs duties. However, for hybrid vehicles, the duties are lower.
"In recent years, we have had a trend of increasing imports of electric vehicles. During 2024, the total import value of electric vehicles, including hybrid vehicles that are both electric and fuel-burning, is over 114 million euros, while in 2025, in the period from January to May, we have 56 million euros of imports, about 1 vehicles... As for taxes, since electric and hybrid vehicles contain all of them, all customs duties need to be paid, such as customs duties, excise duties and VAT. However, for hybrid vehicles, the tax liability rate is lower than for the rest of the vehicles, both electric vehicles and other combustion vehicles. The excise duty rate for hybrid vehicles is 539 euros per unit, while for electric vehicles it is dependent on the excise duty, which is scaled depending on the year of production, as and other factors that influence the determination of the tax value, such as the volume and other specifications of the vehicle," says Zakuti.
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Meanwhile, the owner of AutoNet, an online platform for purchasing cars from Europe, Nexhdet Abazi, emphasizes that despite citizens' great interest in electric vehicles, their participation in imports is still minimal.
Abazi: Despite the great interest of citizens in importing electric vehicles, their number is very small
"Despite the great interest of citizens in importing electric vehicles, their number is very small, somewhere around 2 percent of all imports we realize during the year... If we compare it with last year, the increase is very small... this is due to government policies regarding the import of vehicles... This small number is closely related to the process of customs clearance of vehicles in Kosovo. Electric vehicles are treated the same as all other vehicles, despite the fact that hybrid vehicles are exempt from excise duty... A 10 percent customs tax, 400 euros of excise duty, plus VAT, 18 percent, are applied... The Kosovo Government must urgently intervene in policies so that these vehicles are exempt from customs duty, on the contrary, Kosovo Customs is applying revaluation methods, which is costing our clients additional costs during import... This cost ranges from 200 to 1 thousand euros depending on the value of the vehicle", emphasizes Abazi.
Abazi adds that the lack of public investment in infrastructure for electric vehicles is also a serious obstacle to market development.
"Most of the electric vehicle charging stations are stations that different companies have built privately, while there is a lack of infrastructure where the state invests and builds electric vehicle charging stations. In this context, the government and the municipality must urgently create as many stations as possible, so that citizens are stimulated to import electric vehicles...We as AutoNet publish about 2 thousand cars for sale every day from the EU and we are noticing that the trend of electric vehicles is increasing every day that are published for sale. About 20 to 25 percent of them are electric vehicles, this trend is increasing...If we compare with the countries of the region, Kosovo has the potential for importing electric vehicles, but the main problems are related to fiscal policies by the state...The government must make legal changes as soon as possible so that we can increase the number of electric vehicles because it has an impact on the environment, and is cheap for citizens," says Abazi.
Meanwhile, citizens are convinced that using electric vehicles is a much more economical and ecological solution. They demand that the government take concrete steps to support the purchase of these vehicles.
Electric vehicle driver Zeqir Beka emphasizes the benefits of these vehicles.
"Electric cars are very useful, because they have the lowest consumption. They help us a lot in traffic, they do not pollute the environment. I also call on the government to help subsidize electric cars for environmental reasons... They protect the environment a lot, because they do not have fuel, and they are very useful," says Beka.
Citizen Xhafer Gashi also shares the same opinion.
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"It's very good, more economical, cheaper to drive, but it's also a big plus for the population, for ecology, clean air, no air pollution, because diesel and gasoline cars pollute the air. So (electric cars) are much better in every aspect," says Gashi.
Meanwhile, citizen Rrahman Ramadani says that customs is too expensive and should be abolished.
"Electric cars are more useful, customs should be removed and the environment should be improved... Customs is expensive... Electric cars are better for the environment and health... The state should subsidize those people who buy these cars," says Ramadani.
Likewise, citizen Selahedin Haziri says that removing customs duties on electric vehicles would have a positive impact on the country.
"It is necessary (for Kosovo to remove customs duties on electric vehicles) from an ecological perspective, reflecting both on the consumers themselves and on health...I will remove customs duties because it is in the interest of Kosovo and its citizens...Every country is now moving towards electric vehicles, globally...We should not lag behind compared to other countries," says Haziri.
In North Macedonia, the infrastructure for electric vehicles has also begun to develop, although their number is still relatively small. Here too, government support is in its early stages, but interest is growing.
In Albania, awareness of electric vehicles is growing, and new charging points are being created, especially in major cities. However, even there, the challenges of pricing and infrastructure remain similar to Kosovo.
Meanwhile, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to surpass twenty million this year, accounting for more than twenty-five percent of all vehicles sold, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Global sales of electric vehicles continue to grow despite uncertainties in the global economy and pressures on the automotive sector. While global sales exceeded seventeen million in 2024, the market share of these vehicles exceeded twenty percent for the first time.
China maintained its market leadership, accounting for more than half of last year’s sales. The eleven million electric vehicles sold in China last year were equal to the total number of electric vehicles sold worldwide in 2022. Electric vehicle sales in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America also grew by sixty percent last year.
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In the US, sales grew by 10% year-on-year, while they remained flat in Europe as incentives and supportive policies weakened.
Kosovo, compared to these countries, is still at an earlier stage of development of the electric vehicle market. The number of electric vehicles is smaller, and the charging infrastructure is limited. However, Kosovo has great potential for growth, especially with the focus on renewable energy that can supply these vehicles with clean energy./KSP
