While in the Netherlands the subsidy tap for electric cars is being turned off again, in Germany people speak of expansion. The minister concerned wants to continue to provide subsidies up to and including 2025.
In Germany it is currently possible to receive subsidies of up to € 9,000 on the purchase of a fully electric car. The majority of this, € 6,000, comes from the treasury. The remainder comes from discounts from brands themselves. Government subsidies are also available for plug-in hybrids and even hybrids. In addition, the government is allocating € 4,500 and € 3,750 respectively. Higher amounts than here in the Netherlands and they do not want to stop in Germany for the time being. Peter Altmaier, the German Minister of Economic Affairs, argues according to Bild am Sonntag for extending the grant period.
Altmaier would prefer to see such subsidies provided until at least 2025. The biggest argument he puts forward is the positive effect on manufacturers: “I would like to see the hundreds of thousands of employees in the car industry still having a good workplace in 10 or 15 years. The ‘innovation premium’ makes an important contribution to this.” Originally, the subsidy introduced since 2016 and increased this year was to be abolished next year. According to Altmaier, however, it is important to stick to it longer. In addition, a VAT reduction in Germany is currently also a measure to maintain consumption as much as possible during the corona crisis. According to Altmaier, this is ‘really a temporary stimulus’ that will disappear over time. Obviously, this now also has a strong driving effect on car sales.