Confusion over list of electric vehicles set to benefit from new eco-discount in France

The list of electric vehicles eligible for an incoming additional €1,000 buyer’s ‘eco bonus’ has been revealed by the government, however the list is causing considerable confusion and is said to contain numerous errors.

Criticisms over the list, published by government agency Ademe, include complaints that some of the vehicles listed are no longer manufactured (so cannot be bought ‘new’ as the scheme requires), and others are outside of the wider rules for the bonus écologique the bonus is attached to. 

It means that those looking to buy an electric vehicle should carefully check if their desired model is eligible or they may miss out on these discounts.

What changes for the scheme?

Earlier this month, the government announced an update to the bonus écologique scheme, coming into force on October 1.

People buying an electric vehicle with a European battery inside will be eligible for an extra discount on the purchase provided it meets certain environmental criteria.

Unlike other elements of the scheme it is not means tested, meaning all households are eligible. 

For modest households, it means up to €5,200 will be deducted from the final price of the vehicle if eligible for all bonuses included in the scheme.

The bonuses are paid for through energy certificates (CEE) from companies that failed to meet ecological targets, meaning the scheme is not an additional expense to the government. 

List under fire 

Ademe recently published a lengthy list of more than 200 vehicles eligible for the scheme on its website. 

It is available here as a downloadable PDF (under the Liste de véhicules respectant les critères de production européenne requis pour bénéficier de la prime complémentaire CEE section). 

However, several vehicles are listed that are no longer produced, such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.7, leading the German car manufacturer to clarify the matter. 

“The origin of the batteries changes over time. Some models listed in the Ademe list are no longer available in production, but there are still opportunities for vehicles available in stock that are eligible for the supplementary bonus,” it said, quoted in media outlet Capital. 

Many other vehicles listed, including variants of several models of the same car, are no longer in production.

Other vehicles listed contain a European-made battery – required for the €1,000 bonus – but do not reach the criteria for the bonus écologique scheme in general, being more expensive than the €47,000 limit and / or heavier than the 2.4 tonne threshold.

This means these vehicles can only benefit from a maximum €1,000 discount, missing out on the wider benefits of the bonus.

Example vehicles include the DS N°8 and Peugeot e-5008. 

In total, around half of the vehicles listed are not eligible either for the full bonuses (being outside the criteria), or are no longer produced.

Certain vehicles that will soon be eligible, including the Renault R5 and R4, are not included on the list. 

The manufacturer is set to open a new electric battery factory near Lens for these models, making the bonus applicable for them likely at some point next year.

It is unclear if the list is to be updated.

What to do to benefit from bonus

It is therefore important to guarantee that the vehicle you are looking to purchase is eligible for all bonuses. 

The first step is to check it is on the Ademe list. 

Once you download the pdf, use your device’s search function to find if the vehicle you want is there. 

Ensure the vehicle is still being produced. You can do this by searching for the model online, to see if dealerships have new versions of the vehicle available.

Then, check that it is within the price and weight range of the wider bonus écologique to ensure you fully benefit from the scheme. 

If in doubt, contact the vehicle manufacturer or a dealership.