Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (49; SPD) wants a possible new purchase bonus for electric cars only to benefit households with low and middle incomes. “High earners don’t have to wait for the support program because they can make the switch without additional help,” Schneider told the newspapers of the Funke media group with a view to plans for another support measure.
Under the traffic light government, the federal government had already subsidized the purchase of electric cars until the end of 2023, but the bonus was canceled at short notice due to the budget crisis. A final report commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economics found that the bonus was successful, but less than hoped.
High-income households benefited significantly more than others. Around 30 percent lived in households with more than 6,000 euros net per month. The so-called deadweight effect was also considerable: according to surveys, between a third and half of the recipients of the bonus would have bought the electric cars even without the government subsidy, at best a little later.
Regarding the new bonus now being discussed, Environment Minister Schneider said that there was “no firm agreement on it yet”. He described calls from SPD politicians for a bonus of 3,000 euros for new and used vehicles as a “debate contribution from some colleagues”.
The SPD politicians had suggested that a bonus should be at least 3,000 euros and be matched by manufacturers or dealers in the same amount. People with a “small to medium monthly income” should be eligible.
The plans come at a time when politicians are sending mixed signals to consumers Germany sends. This is how the Chancellor shakes things up Friedrich Merz (69) on the one hand due to the so-called combustion engine shutdown. The CDU politician called the decision that no new cars with gasoline or diesel engines should be registered in the EU from 2035 incorrect. This week, however, the federal government also launched an extension of the exemption for electric cars from vehicle tax.
According to Schneider, he also wants to accelerate the expansion of the charging infrastructure through new specifications. Gas stations and supermarkets should be obliged to provide charging stations, said Schneider, adding: Prices should also fall. This can be achieved through transparency – for example via a digital platform for price comparisons.