Environmental bonus: 4.6 billion for electric cars - primarily for VW

According to information from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in response to an inquiry from the Left Party in the Bundestag, 4.6 billion euros have so far been allocated to incentivize electric vehicles, both battery-electric and plug-in hybrids. Volkswagen and other German manufacturers, in particular, have benefited. For the 160,000 models from Wolfsburg, 798 million euros were subsidized. Mercedes also received a substantial amount with 406 million euros for 104,000 cars, while 339 million euros flowed for 90,000 BMW models. Just behind, buyers of 59,000 Tesla models benefited, receiving 304 million euros in subsidies from tax funds.

In total, 965,000 applications were submitted. Currently, and continuing until the end of the year, there is up to 9,000 euros available for pure electric vehicles under 40,000 euros, 6,000 euros of which is state-funded, while plug-in hybrids are incentivized with up to 6,750 euros. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has announced a new regulation for 2023, which will make a clearly positive climate protection effect a condition for eligibility for subsidies. The environmentally controversial plug-in hybrid models are likely to fall out of the subsidy scheme then. Additionally, the price, size, and weight of the electric vehicle could play a larger role, so that the focus of the funding shifts from mid-range and upper-class vehicles more towards compact and small cars.