Overview
- Berlin’s €3 billion program is retroactive to January 1, 2026, pays up to €6,000 per household based on income and children, applies only to private registrations, and extends to battery‑electrics, plug‑in hybrids and range‑extender models.
- Automakers layered steep discounts on top of the subsidy, with Citroën pricing the ë‑C3 from about €8,000 after its extra rebate, Ford offering €5,000 off select EVs, effective prices for some models such as the Dacia Spring near €7,000, and ultra‑low leases including Leapmotor T03 offers around €18 a month.
- Critics fault the plan for excluding used cars and fleets and for ignoring high public fast‑charging costs, while analysts say private‑market dynamics could favor Chinese brands; Environment Minister Carsten Schneider counters that most 2025 BEV sales were EU‑made and the scheme cannot restrict origin.
- Stellantis executives say the path to 50% fully electric new‑car sales will likely slide to around 2035 and are re‑emphasizing hybrids as a bridge, reflecting broader recalibration by European manufacturers.
- Industry data show diverging fortunes, with Volkswagen Group’s 2025 BEV deliveries rising to about 983,100 globally (+32%) including roughly 742,800 in Europe (+66%), as Tesla faces weak German demand, survey rejection of the brand by most respondents, and a 48% drop to 19,390 new registrations in 2025.