The purchase and rental of vehicles for the Portuguese State has new rules as of Tuesday, according to a published order, which defines that only those with 100% electric motorisation can be purchased as general service vehicles.
The joint order of the ministries of finance and environment and climate action, published on Monday to enter into force the following day, establishes the criteria for the acquisition of vehicles to be part of the state vehicle fleet (PVE), which includes the purchase and short-term rental of vehicles.
The diploma also defines the maximum prices of sale to the State or monthly Rent-a-Car, the technical requirements of the vehicles, the environmental criteria and the emission limit by type of vehicle.
As for the requirement of 100% electric motorisation, the government points out, in the order, that “it is not applicable when, exceptionally, it is not possible to acquire vehicles with the characteristics provided for in the order, and this situation must be duly justified in the contracting request”.
In these cases, the option “should preferably fall” on low-emission engines, such as plug-in hybrid, hybrid or petrol vehicles, and the option for other engines “is exceptional and must be duly justified”.
“Whenever, under the terms of the previous paragraph, the general service vehicles to be integrated into the PVE have a combustion engine, their acquisition is subject to compliance with the maximum emission limits established for each vehicle of the vehicle type”, which are included in one of the two attached tables.
As for the acquisition of vehicles that fit into the typologies with “Van”, “Chassis – cab” and “Pick -Up” bodywork, the diploma defines the duty to adopt a weighting of at least 50% in the award criterion related to polluting emissions.
In the preamble of the order, the government recalls that four years have passed since the publication of the order currently in force, now amended, arguing that it is “imperative to review the criteria for the composition of the fleets” of the services and entities using the PVE.
This review takes place, it explains, “taking into account” the need to update and, in some cases, correct the types of vehicles to be purchased and their respective acquisition costs, leasing or monthly rental costs, “as well as to reinforce the actions necessary for a fleet appropriate to the functions performed by the State and progressively more sustainable” environmentally.
“This requirement also aims to make the PVE policy more in line with Portugal’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which sets targets for reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, with the transport sector contributing a 40% reduction compared to 2005”, highlights the government in the order.