Subsidy scheme for electric trucks in Germany

Germany’s Ministry of Transport wants to fund both battery and fuel cell electric trucks and those with alternative fuels. The bill is set to take effect this June with grants ranging from 12,000 to 40,000 euros depending on the trucks’ weight.

The new funding guideline is scheduled for publication this month before being applied one day later. This means that logistic companies shifting goods from A to B may soon do so in electric trucks and can apply from July through the office for the transport of goods (BAG).

Funding applies to commercial vehicles weighing at least 7.5 tons and up to over 12t. Grants range from 12,000 euros to up to 40,000 euros for the heaviest trucks and applies to both all-electric and fuel cell vehicles as well as alternative fuels such as CNG and LNG. Apart from their alternative drives, the vehicles must be available as a series version in at least one EU member state to be eligible.

There is a cap of 500,000 euros per company. Overall, the German government has allocated 10 million euros to the programme this year whilst the scheme is to run throughout 2020.

The government will exempt electric trucks from the road toll beginning next year as well.

bmvi.de (funding guideline, in German)