Lisbon, April 17, 2025 (Lusa) - On Thursday, the Environmental Fund paid out a further 1,596 applications to support the purchase of electric vehicles for 2024, bringing the transfers made to 80% of the total eligible applications, the Ministry of the Environment announced. ‘With the payments made today, relating to a further 1,596 applications, the total number of applications paid out under this notice stands at 5,540, compared to 6,871 eligible applications,’ the ministry led by Maria da Graça Carvalho said in a statement. With this new batch of payments, 80% of eligible applications have been paid, whereas in March, payments made under this notice, which closed on 31 December 2024, corresponded to 56% of eligible applications. According to the government, the payments made today now cover all the support for the purchase of cargo bikes (type 3) and 99.1% of the support for light electric passenger vehicles. ‘The first payments have also started for the new 2025 programme, which has already received 8,170 applications and approved more than 7,582 grants,’ the Ministry of the Environment and Energy said. MPE/ADB // ADB. Lusa