Electric Cars: Purchase Bonus Increases, “Social Leasing” Returns in September

Good news for those looking to upgrade their vehicle. The purchase bonus for new electric cars is increasing slightly starting this Tuesday, ahead of a new "social leasing" season scheduled for September.

The least wealthy households, i.e. those in deciles 1 to 5, now benefit from aid of around 4,200 euros, as do those in deciles 6 to 8, depending on the composition of their household.

Other households, with reference tax income per share above 26,200 euros, and who are the main buyers of new cars, will benefit from 3,100 euros of aid.

After significant reductions in recent years , and especially the abolition of the scrappage bonus, this "ecological bonus" has been increased from 200 to 1,200 euros depending on income brackets.

This bonus, which is supposed to encourage the switch to electric cars, no longer depends on the state budget, which is seeking billions in savings : it is now based on energy saving certificates (CEE).

Through these certificates, energy suppliers are encouraged to finance actions to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. Buyers must provide their tax notice to the dealer, who will then register the sale online on the energy supplier's platform.

The conditions for the vehicle remain the same as those currently in force: the car must cost less than 47,000 euros including tax, it must weigh less than 2.4 tonnes and obtain an environmental score higher than the minimum required score, which effectively excludes cars manufactured in China.

Manufacturers had already begun using these CEEs since March, particularly for company vehicles. Renault is already implementing this "helping hand bonus" in its dealerships and "the network is finishing its learning phase," said Guillaume Sicard, director of Renault in France.

"There will be a strong response to the increase in the CEE support premium," he said, "if we can explain it well and make the whole package understandable." It could boost sales of electric models, which have been stagnating since the beginning of the year at 18% of sales, perhaps because buyers were waiting for the new premiums.

For Volkswagen France, "the energy savings certificate mechanism is undoubtedly more complex to implement than the previous system," but "this initiative allows a large proportion of our customers to benefit from a higher bonus," commented a spokesperson.

"We're wondering about possible unequal access to the system depending on the dealership," said Clément Molizon of Avere, which represents electric car players. "The very large ones will be able to generate business and negotiate more advantageous contracts."

The purchase bonus will be supplemented by the resumption of "social leasing" starting in September. This formula provides for three-year electric car leases with very attractive monthly payments, including maintenance.

This rental formula is aimed at low-income households in the first five income deciles (i.e., a reference tax income per share of less than or equal to €16,300). French market leaders are already in battle formation and have begun taking pre-orders for this offer, which is limited to around 50,000 vehicles.

Stellantis, which supplied 70% of the vehicles in the first wave in 2024, took the lead by announcing leases starting at €95 per month on its compact models, the Citroën ë-C3, Peugeot e-208, and Fiat Grande Panda. Renault, for its part, launched an offer on Tuesday for its electric R5, R4, and Mégane.

Between the new bonus, social leasing, and the accelerated electrification of company fleets, "we could see a rebound" in electric vehicle sales "by the end of the year," emphasized Clément Molizon of Avere.