France confirms €1,000 grant for second-hand electric cars
The new grant is available to all, has no conditions attached and is for use with second-hand cars - in contrast to previous grants.
France has announced a new €1,000 grant available for drivers who wish to buy a second-hand 100% electric car, with no conditions attached. Previously, grants were only available for new electric cars.
The grant was confirmed by junior transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari after first being mentioned as part of the government’s economic relaunch plan in September.
In an interview with newspaper Le Parisien, Mr Djebbari said: “[The grant will be available] across the entire country, without conditions or means testing, for the purchase of a 100% electric second-hand vehicle.”
He added that in 2021, the maximum government aid for purchasing a new electric car will drop from the current €7,000 to €6,000.
Read more: French drivers rush to swap cars as eco grant amount drops
These extra grants can be added to the “scrapping bonus” (prime à la casse), which is already applicable to both new and second-hand cars. Currently, this amount is €2,500 for everyone (regardless of means), and can reach up to €5,000 for less well-off households. The amounts for 2021 have not yet been revealed.
The minister also said that extra government aid would be available for lower-income households.
He said: “We want to establish real social equality for access to an eco-friendly car.”
(Photo: David_Megginson / CC BY-SA 2.0)
More electric charging points
The new aid comes as Mr Djebbari joins with Ecology Minister Barbara Pompili today (Monday October 12) to sign a new charter called “Objectif 100,000 bornes” (Objective 100,000 [charging] Points)”.
The aim will be to install 100,000 electric charging points across France, faster than previously expected.
A budget of €100million will be dedicated to the project, which will include the creation of 500 rapid charging stations, which will each have four charging points at 150 kilowatts each. They will be installed along 12,000km of national roads, and 9,000km of motorway nationwide.
This objective had previously been suggested for 2022, but Mr Djebbari has now said he wishes to achieve this by the end of 2021.
Read more: Where to find electric car charging points in France?
He said: “This is necessary to allow long-distance journeys [by electric car]. I have set the objective so that all motorway service stations will be equipped fastest, and national roads as quickly as possible. Along with the [lack] of charging points around homes, this is one of the major blocks to developing electric [vehicle use] today.”
The minister also confirmed the extension of the Advenir scheme, which helps to encourage individuals, companies, motorway companies, supermarkets and larger shops to install electric charging points.
Currently, the aid amount stands at €1,000-€2,000 per charging station. Mr Djebbari said it was set to be extended from €2,000-€9,000, “depending on the power of the charging point”.
This will cover around 60% of the cost of the station, and the government is also set to cover 75% of the cost of connecting the station to the national grid.
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