Does France’s electric car grant apply to the Citroën Ami?

Reader Question: Does the government’s grant for electric cars apply to the Citroën Ami retailing at around €7,000?

People buying an electric vehicle in France can benefit from a government grant towards the price called a bonus écologique.

The amount you receive depends on whether the car is new or second-hand.

New electric vehicles

For vehicles bought before December 31, priced at less than €47,000 and for which the CO2 emissions are 0g/km, the aid will be 27% of the price of the car, up to a limit of €6,000 for private individuals.

This still applies to the Citroën Ami, even though it is a licence-free car, although you will of course not receive the full €6,000 but rather 27% of the price you pay.

In order to benefit from this support, the car must

• Be electric or a rechargeable hybrid

• Be bought or leased on a two-year or more contract

• Be new

• Be registered in France

• Not be sold in the year after you buy or rent it. It must also have covered 6,000km in that first year.

You can submit your application as you buy the vehicle but if not you must do so within the six months after buying the car or paying the first lease payment.

If you are part-exchanging a second-hand vehicle as well, you may also be able to benefit from a prime à la conversion government grant.

If you were buying a vehicle whose price was between €47,000 and €60,000 and whose CO2 emissions were 0g/km, the bonus would be €2,000.

Hydrogen vehicles worth more than €60,000 would also be eligible for a grant of €2,000.

The bonus écologique can be taken off the purchase price of the vehicle or reimbursed at a later date. If the dealership cannot sort the grant out for you, you will need to apply online.

From 2023, the maximum €6,000 available will be reduced to €5,000 for the most affluent half of people in France. However, lower-income households will be able to claim up to €7,000, President Emmanuel Macron has announced.

The income criteria and details of how this will be worked out have not yet been outlined.

The €2,000 grants available for more expensive vehicles will also be cut to €1,000.

Read more: Increased aid announced for electric car purchases in France

Second-hand vehicles

Second-hand cars can also benefit from a €1,000 grant if they fulfil certain conditions.

These stipulate that the car must:

• Have a CO2 emissions rate of 0g/km

• Have been bought or leased on a contract or two years or more

• Be second-hand

• Have been registered for the first time two years ago or more

• Be registered in France

• Not belong to a member of the same foyer fiscal (tax household)

• Not be sold in the two years following the purchase or payment of the first lease instalment

The grant application must be made in the six months after you buy the car or the six months after your first lease payment.

The sum available will remain the same in 2023.

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