Centre Party deputy chair proposes higher taxes on electric car purchases and use

Markus Lohi, deputy chair of the Centre Party, said that taxes on car purchases and usage ought to be increased, with a focus on electric vehicles that currently enjoy exemptions from car tax and fuel tax. He said that as electric cars proliferate, tax revenues are falling and the government needs to address the shortfall. Kokoomus parliamentarian Tere Sammallahti responded in a press release, arguing that Finnish motorists already bear a heavy tax load and that raising costs would hinder the transition to electric transport.

Sammallahti warned that such a policy could damage traffic growth and economic expansion, noting that tax policy should encourage, not discourage, desired behavior. The debate highlights differing views within the governing coalition on how to fund the shift to greener mobility.