Germany hits 2 million approved environmental bonus mark

The German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (Bafa) gave the green light to the anniversary application in September - and on this occasion publishes an interim report on the subsidy euros distributed and vehicles subsidised to date.

Since 2016, the German government has been promoting the switch to climate-friendly vehicles with the environmental bonus. With the introduction of the so-called innovation bonus in July 2020, the environmental bonus experienced a strong boost. Now the 2,000,000th approved application has crossed the desk at Bafa, as the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle) is known colloquially. Of the vehicles subsidised so far, around 1.23 million were BEVs, 770,000 were plug-in hybrids and around 400 were fuel cell vehicles, according to the agency. The amount of subsidies disbursed so far is just under 9.5 billion euros.

Over time, the criteria for paying out the bonus have become stricter, as is well known: since 1 January 2023, only vehicles that are battery-electric or powered by fuel cells have been subsidised, and since 1 September 2023, only private individuals have been eligible to apply. According to Bafa, more than 300,000 applications have already been received in the current year.

According to Bafa President Torsten Safarik, another milestone for climate-friendly mobility has been reached with more than two million vehicles subsidised. “Electromobility has arrived in everyday life thanks to the environmental bonus. To achieve this success, we have accelerated procedures to the maximum, set up a digital interface with the Federal Motor Transport Authority and above all: our colleagues at BAFA have done a great job.”

The subsidised share is currently 4,500 euros up to a net list price of the basic model of 40,000 euros. More expensive models with a net list price between 40,000 and 65,000 euros still receive 3,000 euros. The manufacturer’s share is added in each case. From 1 January 2024, the federal share for BEV and hydrogen vehicles with a net list price of up to 45,000 euros will drop to 3,000 euros. More expensive vehicles will then no longer be eligible for subsidies.

bafa.de, twitter.com (both in German)