The Dutch government gives buyers of a new electric car a helping hand of 2950 euros. The German EV subsidy has been significantly reduced for 2023, but German EV buyers still laugh at us for the tip we receive.
In the context of the SEPP, the Dutch government gives buyers of a new electric car a helping hand of 2950 euros. The German EV subsidy has been significantly reduced this year, but German EV buyers still laugh at us for the tip we receive.
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Up to and including 2022, German buyers and (private) leasers of fully electric cars were pampered enormously with the environmental bonus (environmental bonus). BAFA stands for the government body that regulates the purchase subsidy, the Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle.
EV subsidy Germany in 2022: 9000 euros
Provided that the car was not more expensive than 40,000 euros, the German government would pay another 6,000 euros of the list price in 2022. The manufacturer/importer also contributed a lot: 3000 euros. In total, you could receive a subsidy of 9,000 euros when you buy a fully electric car. For cars with a list price of more than 40,000 euros, the maximum support was 7,500 euros. The subsidy amounted to the same amount for young second-hand electric cars. That is different from the 3350 euros (new cars) and 2000 euros (electric used cars) to which we Dutch people could claim in 2022.
German subsidy for the purchase of plug-in hybrids
The German generosity did not stop with fully electric cars in 2022, by the way. Buyers of a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of at least 60 kilometers could count on a purchase subsidy of 6,750 euros. And we Dutch? We received exactly 0 euros in subsidy for a plug-in hybrid.
As so often happens, the lavish German arrangement became a victim of its own success. For 2023, the rules were considerably reduced. If you buy a plug-in hybrid in Germany this year, the German government will still think you are a sympathetic pear, but there is no more than a pat on the back. In addition, the subsidy amounts for fully electric cars have been adjusted downwards.
German purchase subsidy for electric cars 2023
Yet in Germany you are still a bargain when purchasing an EV. For new electric cars that cost less than 40,000 euros, the government will provide 4,500 euros. The industry contributes half of that amount. This brings the total purchase support to 6750 euros. For new EVs with a purchase price of more than 40,000 euros, the buyer will receive a maximum of 4,500 euros. Anyone who purchases a young electric used car receives the same amount.
If you do not buy a car in Germany, but lease it, you will only receive the above amounts with a minimum contract term of 24 months. Lower subsidies apply for shorter lease periods.
Germans prefer petrol again
In 2022, fully electric cars in Germany had a market share of 17.7 percent, a sharp increase compared to 2021. According to a survey recently initiated by Forsabank, that growth is not expected this year. In fact, the percentage of respondents who prefer an EV when buying a new car fell from 17 to 16 percent. Hybrids are also less popular. Last year, 18 percent of Germans indicated that they wanted to buy a hybrid car, this year that is still 15 percent.
For petrol cars, the survey shows a reverse movement: from 22 to no less than 30 percent. Whether this is due to the more austere BAFA regulation cannot be said with certainty, but it certainly seems so.