€100-a-month electric car scheme closed for 2024 due to demand
The scheme received more than double the number of orders it was expecting
Already, 50,000 orders have been taken for the year of 2024, forcing the scheme to close until the end of the year (when it will reopen for 2025 orders)Mpohodzhay / Shutterstock
France’s scheme to provide electric cars to drivers for €100 per month has already closed for 2024, the government has announced.
It comes after 50,000 orders were received, well above the planned 20,000-25,000 for the year.
The Elysée issued a decree, scheduled for publication on February 13, confirming the end of the ‘leasing social’ plan for the year, having “exceeded” its objectives.
“We're going to produce more and more electric vehicles [and] electric batteries in France over the coming months and years. I made a commitment during the presidential campaign, in 2022. I wanted to announce to you that from January 1, the €100-a-month leasing system will be introduced.
“You could be among the first French people to have access to this leasing for electric vehicles,” he said.
L’écologie à la française, c’est cela : dès janvier, les premiers modèles de voitures électriques en leasing seront disponibles à 100 euros par mois.
Only two months later, after doubling its target for the year, the scheme is over. It will restart at the end of the year, and begin taking orders for 2025, the Elysée confirmed.
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The government hopes to be able to offer 80,000 vehicles - at least - by 2025.
The scheme is intended for the least well-off 50% of households, with a taxable income per household unit (one per adult, half per child) of less than €15,400 (as shown on your last tax return). It allows drivers to lease an electric vehicle with low monthly payments.
Drivers also need to be ‘major users (gros rouleurs)’ who drive more than 8,000 km per year, or live more than 15 km away from their workplace, and require a vehicle for the commute.
You must also be over 18 and can prove that you live in France. Around 4 million to 5 million people are thought to be eligible nationwide.
Which vehicles are included?
Image: Ecologie.gouv.fr/mon-leasing-electrique
Only vehicles that are on the official list are eligible.
These include:
Five Renault models, including the electric versions of the classic Twingo, Megane, and Scenic
24 models from the Stellantis group, including the Peugeot 208, and the Citroën e-C4
The Tesla Model Y
In contrast, one of the most-affordable electric cars, the Dacia Spring - made in China - is not on the list.
Eligible vehicles must also:
Meet the minimum environmental score
Cost less than or equal to €47,000 (purchase price)
Weigh less than or equal to 2,400 kg
Some second-hand models, or models that have been retrofitted as an electric vehicle are also eligible. These must still have been registered for the first time - or converted - within the last three and a half years.
How much does it cost?
Recipients pay on average €100 per month, but smaller vehicles cost less, and larger vehicles more (up to €150/month). The contract lasts at least three years, and is renewable, with the option to buy the car at the end.
Car insurance, charging, and other associated costs are at the driver’s own expense.
A major advantage of the scheme is that the first month’s payment is the same as all of the other months, because the government subsidises the rest of the cost. This means that drivers avoid the large first payment that is often required for vehicle leasing.
People who sign up are able to cancel their contract within the first 14 days, as long as their vehicle has not yet been delivered. Participants can also cancel their plan for free in case they lose their income or become disabled.
Drivers on the scheme can travel up to 12,000 km a year without any extra charges.
