From next year there will be less money from the state for the environmental bonus for electric vehicles, and from 2024 the upper price limit for the models will drop to 45,000 euros. The planned changes will then be particularly felt by German premium manufacturers: Only a fraction of the battery vehicles on offer from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi will be subsidized from the year after next.
This result is in a response from the federal government to a question from the CSU member of the Bundestag Ulrich Lange, as the “Augsburger Allgemeine” reported on August 26, 2022. At Mercedes, the number of eligible models (different variants) in the current portfolio will drop from 40 to seven, at BMW from 47 to two and at Audi from 13 to five.
These are currently the best electric cars
Selected products in tabular overview
BMW iX
RRP from EUR 77,300, savings: up to EUR 13,386
Kia Niro EV
RRP from EUR 47,590, savings of up to EUR 11,164
Kia EV6
RRP from EUR 44,990, savings: up to EUR 14,069 / in leasing from EUR 274
Mercedes EQS
RRP from EUR 97,807, savings: up to EUR 6,152
Hyundai Ioniq 5
RRP from EUR 41,900, savings: up to EUR 12,280 / in leasing from EUR 234
Audi Q4 e-tron
RRP from EUR 41,900, savings: up to EUR 12,420 / best leasing price: EUR 89
Skoda Enyaq iV
RRP from EUR 34,600, savings: up to EUR 11,584 / best leasing price EUR 124
Mazda MX-30
RRP from EUR 34,490, savings: up to EUR 13,035 / in leasing from EUR 90
Opel Corsa-e
RRP from EUR 30,400; Savings: up to EUR 11,920.00
Smart EQ for two
RRP from EUR 21,940, savings: up to EUR 8,240 / in leasing from EUR 77
Tesla Model 3
RRP from EUR 46,560; Savings: up to EUR 7,975 / best leasing price EUR 289.00
Toyota bZ4X
RRP from EUR 47,490; Savings: up to EUR 10,520.00
Volvo XC40 Recharge
RRP from EUR 48,650; Savings: up to EUR 9570.00
On the other hand, all current purely electric models from manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia or Seat are currently receiving state support. The same applies to the German car manufacturers VW (e-Up, ID.3, ID.4, ID.5), Opel (Corsa-e, Mokka-e) and Smart as well as to the Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda with the Enyaq (purchase advice electric cars).
According to the government response, the discontinuation of subsidies for plug-in hybrids means that 68 model variants will no longer be eligible for subsidies at Mercedes-Benz, 34 at BMW and 27 at Audi Lange’s assessment also had a negative impact on German manufacturers. To date, 78 percent of the subsidized vehicles at Mercedes have not been used privately, around 66 percent at BMW and 71 percent at Audi.
Most of these cars will no longer be eligible for funding in 2024
picture gallery
E-cars with an electric purchase bonus of up to 60,000 euros
Union faction deputy Lange criticized the government’s measure as “poison for Germany as an automotive location”. Instead of presenting an overall transport policy strategy for climate-friendly individual transport, the traffic light with its economic policy endangers jobs in the key German industry, according to the CSU transport expert.
These e-cars will continue to be promoted
picture gallery
E-cars with funding for 25,000 to 40,000 euros
However, the effect criticized by Lange comes as little surprise – and is also not unintentional. According to the coalition agreement, the promotion of electromobility in Germany should “only concentrate on motor vehicles that have a proven positive climate protection effect”. In other words: no more money for (often large) plug-in hybrids with (often large) combustion engines, subsidies only for environmentally friendly, battery-powered small and medium-sized cars.
In addition, budgetary funds are to be saved in this way, since presumably affluent customers of more expensive models can usually finance their new cars without government subsidies.
