In Germany, the Ministry of the Economy has abruptly ended the very popular bonus for the purchase of an electric vehicle. The German government decided last week to return to budgetary orthodoxy and announced severe savings.
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Up to 4,500 euros per car, the electric car bonus was one of the pillars of clean mobility, the ambitious objective of the German government which should make it possible to put 15 million battery cars on the roads of Germany in 2030, reports our correspondent in Berlin, Nathalie Versieux.
But under pressure since the Constitutional Court rejected the 2024 budget last month, the government of Olaf Scholz announced last week the return to budgetary orthodoxy.
Ironically, it is a Green who buries the electric car bonus. Like all his colleagues, the Minister of the Economy Robert Habeck is in fact forced to reduce his ministry’s spending. Since its implementation in 2016, the bonus had encouraged the purchase of two million battery cars. And cost the State 10 billion euros.
Not enough money available
This removal could deal a severe blow to a German automobile industry already struggling to cope with the ecological transition, experts and the specialized press estimated on Sunday.
The Ministry of the Economy announced on Saturday that applications would no longer be accepted after this Sunday, December 17. A ministry spokesperson acknowledged that this removal created “an unfortunate situation” for consumers who hoped to be able to benefit from the bonus on the purchase of an electric vehicle. But this decision was necessary “ because there is no longer enough money available to take into account requests received after Sunday “, affirmed the spokesperson.
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