The brands of the Volkswagen group will also offer electric vehicles in “social leasing”, rental with purchase option (LOA) for less than 150 euros per month, the automobile group announced on Wednesday. Four models should be offered at the end of January, from the small Volkswagen E-UP (89 euros per month) to the Skoda Enyaq SUV (149 euros), including the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born (109 euros).
“We also have a role to play and we hope that the State will expand the bonus,” said Volkswagen Group France CEO Xavier Chardon during a press conference. “Social leasing”, launched in December 2023, is a LOA system at less than 100 euros per month for city dwellers, and 150 euros for family cars (excluding insurance and maintenance), reserved for people whose reference tax income is less than 15,400 euros, who drive more than 8,000 km per year or live more than 15 km from their place of work.
Only vehicles built in France or Europe, new or used less than three years old, are eligible for this bonus. An initial volume of 25,000 rentals had been planned by the government. But nearly 35,000 customers have already come forward to benefit from these discounted offers. “We are talking with the dealers. We are in the process of consolidating this availability,” underlined Monday the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu, handing over the keys to one of the first vehicles to its tenant.
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The Stellantis group (Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Opel) has indicated that it has planned 20,000 cars, and could increase “at least double”, while this offer creates excitement in its dealerships at the start of the year, according to its management. . The Renault group told Le Figaro that it had “revised (its) production capacities upwards” for its two electric vehicles eligible for the system, the Twingo E-Tech (offered from 40 euros per month) and the Megane E- Tech (150 euros per month). Hyundai also recorded 500 rentals of its Kona electric SUV in a few days.
The Volkswagen group suspects that it has not been consulted as early as the French manufacturers, but says it is confident with its four offers. “The 25,000 files were calculated on the returns of other manufacturers, we had not been consulted at that time,” affirmed Xavier Chardon, adding: “Perhaps people who placed orders will change orders. ‘notice.”
Without initial contribution, the rental is planned for three years, renewable once. The State finances each rental up to a maximum of 13,000 euros. The LOA is also open to used vehicles less than three and a half years old, and to “retrofit” which consists of electrifying thermal cars: the start-up Lormauto must deliver old electrified Twingos from spring 2024.