Baku, September 28, 2025
Hybrid cars, once touted as the smart alternative to costly internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, may soon slip out of reach for Azerbaijani consumers.
A KhazarTV survey warns that rising prices, fueled by customs tariffs and import costs, could turn eco-friendly cars into a luxury item – undermining the government’s own green transport goals.
Dealers say even small increases in tariffs or logistics costs could add thousands of manats to the sticker price of a hybrid. Consumers, already squeezed by high fuel bills from ICE cars, fear losing their only affordable alternative.
“If prices rise, hybrids will no longer be a rational choice, only an option for the wealthy,” one respondent told.
Members of parliament acknowledge the danger and have floated plans to revise tariffs and introduce incentives to protect hybrid and electric car buyers. Some lawmakers even envision a gradual phase-out of ICE vehicles, in line with global climate policies. But critics warn that unless reforms move quickly, hybrids could vanish from the average family’s budget long before those plans materialize.
For now, Azerbaijan faces a paradox: official pledges to support sustainable transport collide with policies that risk pricing citizens out of it.
As one dealer put it, “Without balanced state support, the green transition may be dead on arrival.”
