ProCredit Bank buys 7 electric cars – The first company to use electricity-powered vehicles for business purposes

ProCredit Bank will use 7 new electric cars for transport, which is the first example of a Serbian company or institution using green vehicles. The procurement of these vehicles was carried out in accordance with the bank's business policy which envisions the improvement of sustainable use of energy and environmental impact. Although Serbia still doesn't have a developed infrastructure for the usage of such cars, ProCredit Bank has so far been using its own resources for charging, but it plans to develop charging stations in cooperation with the competent authorities.

By using electric cars, ProCredit Bank wishes to point to the decreased usage of fossil fuels in everyday transport and contribute to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases harmful to the environment. In addition to Belgrade, electric cars will be used by the employees of ProCredit Bank in Novi Sad, Pancevo, Kragujevac, Subotica, Cacak and Nis.

- Investing in projects which aim to protect the environment and use renewable energy sources is an inseparable part of ProCredit Bank's activities and we are finding new ways of realizing it, whether on our own or through partnerships with local communities, all the time. A few years ago, we made a first step towards the so-called green transport and procured hybrid vehicles for our needs, and we went even further by getting electric cars, towards completely abandoning the use of petrol engine cars – said Ivan Smiljkovic, member of the Executive Board of ProCredit Bank.

This pioneering venture is the continuation of the very successful work on developing the program of energy efficiency, which ProCredit Bank is carrying out intensively. So far, more than EUR 90 million has been contributed, through energy efficiency and renewable energy sources loans, to projects which seek to increase the energy efficiency of the economy and agriculture and the use of renewable energy sources. As well, ProCredit is the first bank in Serbia which sought, by opening a “green office” in Nis, to point to the ways of reducing the expenditure of sources. By regularly assessing client loan portfolios using the environmental protection criterion and by promoting “green financing” through energy efficiency loans, the bank wishes to maintain the highest standards when it comes to environmentally sustainable business activities.

The new electric cars will be presented at the traditional event ProAkcija, which will be organized by the bank on July 8 at Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade.