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Germany Revives Retroactive EV Purchase Bonus as Announcement Slips to Monday

The €3 billion program targets private buyers on lower and middle incomes and is expected to cover roughly 800,000 vehicles over three to four years.

Overview

  • The incentive is planned to apply to vehicles first registered since January 1, 2026, with grants reported between €1,500 and €6,000 depending on income, family status and vehicle type.
  • Baseline support is €3,000 for battery‑electric and fuel‑cell cars and €1,500 for eligible plug‑in hybrids that emit no more than 50 g CO2/km or offer at least 80 km electric range.
  • Only private buyers of new cars qualify, including purchases and leases, with an income limit widely cited at €80,000 taxable household income; company cars and used vehicles are excluded.
  • The environment ministry postponed today’s briefing to January 19 for final intra‑government sign‑offs, and applications are expected to open via an online portal in May with retroactive eligibility.
  • France reports 50,000 vehicles awarded in the second round of its social EV leasing scheme, bringing the total to about 100,000 low‑income beneficiaries across two rounds.