One month after the restart of the electric vehicle subsidy, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) is reporting a positive assessment of the program’s reception. Speaking to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Friday editions), the Minister noted that interest in the subsidies is high. He revealed that nine out of ten applicants were interested in purchasing fully electric vehicles, with preference for buying versus leasing being roughly equal.
Schneider also highlighted the program’s social component, observing that more than half of the applicants have a household income of no more than 45,000 euros. This, he explained, confirms that the “social stratification is working.” The subsidy is designed so that individuals with lower incomes receive greater support and can benefit from the long-term cost advantages associated with charging electric mobility.
The initiative draws total funding of 3 billion euros from the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF). Eligibility requires that applicants have a maximum annual household income of 80,000 euros, potentially rising to a maximum of 90,000 euros if they have two children under the age of majority.
