It was announced, it’s now official. The ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric vehicle will increase from 5,000 to 4,000 euros for the wealthiest French people, according to a decree published this Tuesday in the Official Journal and which will come into force on Wednesday. The text also ratifies “the suspension of the assistance system for leasing electric cars”, announced Monday by the Élysée.
At the end of December, the government indicated that it was considering lowering the ecological bonus for households “in deciles 6 to 10”, but that this bonus would remain at 7,000 euros (5,000 euros and the increase already in force of 2,000 euros) for half with the lowest incomes. Tuesday, the decree published – which concerns “aid for the acquisition and rental of low-polluting vehicles” – indicates that “it reduces by 1000 euros the maximum amount of the ecological bonus applicable to the acquisition of private cars and new vans for households in the five highest income deciles.
For companies, the text also indicates “reduce by 1000 euros the maximum amount of the ecological bonus applicable to the acquisition of new vans” and “remove the ecological bonus applicable to the acquisition of new cars”. The ecological bonus for used passenger cars and vans is also “removed”. Furthermore, the decree “increases by 1,000 euros the amount of aid for electric car leasing for used private cars”.
The text also limits the allocation of the scrappage bonus to the purchase of electric vehicles. And the maximum amount of this conversion bonus, already reserved for the least well-off households, drops by 1000 euros to stand at 5000 euros. Until now, the bonus could also benefit the purchase of a low-polluting gasoline vehicle (with the Crit’Air 1 badge), for an amount of 4,000 euros.
Concerning “social leasing”, the system allowing the less well-off to access an electric car for 100 euros per month, the decree “provides for the suspension of the system of assistance for the leasing of electric cars”. The Élysée announced on Monday the end of this measure for 2024 after having “exceeded” its initial objectives, with more than 50,000 orders validated. “There will be a second wave at the end of the year or at the beginning of next year,” specifies the government. The decree published Tuesday also prohibits the subletting of vehicles benefiting from leasing assistance, and establishes a fine of 1,500 euros in the event of non-compliance by the beneficiaries with the conditions of conservation of the vehicle or the ban on subletting. -rental.
The adjustments to the conversion aid and the bonus were put in place in part to respond to the success of the leasing system which cost the State coffers more than initially expected. “The dual objective was to remain within the allocated envelope of 1.5 billion euros for aid for electric vehicles and to better target low-income households,” explains a government advisor.
