Two types of financial aid to help people in France buy an electric car are now to be extended to July 1, 2022, instead of January 1, as previously planned.
The government last week confirmed the extension of both the écologique bonus and the ‘Prime à la Conversion’ option.
A new ranking published in July this year shows that the Tesla Model 3 was the most popular electric car in France in the first half of 2021, with 13,084 units sold. Next came the Renault Zoé (10,797) and the Peugeot e-208 (9,133).
A new Tesla Model 3 costs from 47,990 euros in France, but the SR + version of the model starts at 43,800 euros, which falls below the funding threshold of Bonus écologique.
Given the extra time, we summarize the financial support now available in France for drivers who want to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle.
Ecological bonus
Financial support to buy or rent a new rechargeable electric or hybrid vehicle with CO2 emissions of less than 50g per km. Hydrogen-powered cars are also possible, but only those that cost more than 60,000 euros.
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For an electric vehicle that costs less than € 45,000, the bonus is 27% of the costs, up to a maximum grant of € 6,000.
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For an electric vehicle that costs 45,000-60,000 euros, the bonus is 2,000 euros.
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The same bonus is available for hydrogen-powered cars from 60,000 euros.
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For a hybrid vehicle that costs less than 50,000 euros and can drive at least 50 km purely electrically, the bonus is 1,000 euros.
If you receive this assistance, you will need to wait at least six months and drive the vehicle at least 6,000 km before you can resell it.
Conversion bonus
Financial support in addition to the écologique bonus. Allows owners to swap out an old, more polluting vehicle when they buy a less polluting replacement vehicle.
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Your taxable income must be less than € 13,489 per “family quotient” in your household to qualify. An adult equals one part and a small half part. The government has an online calculator to see if you qualify.
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For an electric or hybrid vehicle that can run at least 50 km on electricity, the available aid is limited to 80% of the price up to a maximum of € 5,000.
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To receive the maximum amount, you must have an income of less than € 6,300 per part, drive the vehicle between work and home more than 12,000 km per year and your place of work must be more than 30 km from where you live.
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If you do not meet all of these criteria, the amount available is limited to € 2,500.
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For a hybrid vehicle that cannot drive at least 50 km electrically, the allowance is € 3,000 if you meet the above criteria. If you don’t, the maximum amount is € 1,500.
The criteria for resale are the same as for the écologique bonus.
Electric retrofit bonus
Financial support to help drivers convert (or retrofit) their older internal combustion engine into an electric vehicle.
The conversion must be carried out by a trained specialist in order to receive the aid.
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Means tested.
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Available for up to 80% of the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum of € 5,000.
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To receive the maximum amount, you must have an income of less than € 6,300 per part, travel more than 12,000 km per year to commute between work and home by vehicle, and your place of work must be more than 30 km away.
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If you do not meet all of these criteria, the amount available is limited to € 2,500.
The criteria for resale are the same as for the previous two types of aid.
Help on site
In addition to these government grants, there are also a number of other local finance packages. The Ministry of the Environment has listed them all on its website here.
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For example, the Ile-de-France region is offering between 1,500 and 6,000 euros to replace a combustion vehicle with an electric or hydrogen vehicle for people who work in the environmental zone and live in the greater Paris area. The combined government and region aid is limited to 50-80% of vehicle costs, depending on the amount of aid received
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The Bouches-du-Rhône department offers a payment of € 5,000 to help people buy a new electric vehicle, with a maximum of 1,000 people registered each year. Resale is only allowed if you have kept the vehicle for at least three years or have reached 65,000 km.
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Cities and towns that have funding available include Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Drancy in Seine-Saint-Denis and Saint-Maure in Indre. Nice also offers 2,000 euros for those looking to buy an electric car.
The amount available may also vary depending on whether you are shopping for business or as an individual.
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