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Public charging station in Düsseldorf
Photo: Robert Poorten / IMAGO
In the current year, the German state has spent more money to promote electromobile cars than ever before.
According to preliminary figures, around 3.2 billion euros went to buyers of around 640,000 vehicles in 2022, as reported by the responsible Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bafa) in Eschborn near Frankfurt.
The 3.1 billion euros with 625,260 subsidized vehicles from the previous record year 2021 were exceeded once again.
The figures include both pure battery vehicles as well as fuel cell cars and so-called plug-in hybrids, which use an electric motor as well as a combustion engine.
There will be no more state subsidies for this category in the coming year and the subsidy premiums will also fall for battery and fuel cell cars.
In the past few weeks, this has led to a rush to the registration offices - because the registration date alone is decisive for the amount of the subsidy.
Together with the high electricity prices, the lower subsidy could lead to a significant drop in registrations in the coming years, expects industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer.
From 2023, buyers of fully electric cars can receive a maximum of EUR 4,500 from the state instead of EUR 6,000 if their car is on the sales list for less than EUR 40,000 net.
For more expensive vehicles up to a net list price of up to 65,000 euros, there are still 3,000 euros instead of the previous 5,000 euros.
In 2024, the subsidy premiums will continue to fall.
Since the introduction of the first electric bonus in 2016, a total of around 1.64 million cars have been subsidised.
A run on the subsidy pots began in mid-2020, when the purchase bonus that had been valid until then was increased by an “innovation bonus”.
Buyers could receive a bonus of up to 9,000 euros, two-thirds of which was borne by the state.
In order to reduce climate-damaging CO₂ emissions, the traffic light coalition is aiming for 15 million electric cars on German roads by 2030.
In order to achieve this goal, even the current record pace would have to be multiplied.
ani/dpa
