Overview
- Online brokers Meinauto.de and Carwow and the ZDK report a sharp jump in EV inquiries within days of the announcement, with requests in some cases multiplying severalfold.
- The program offers €1,500 to €6,000 per purchase based on vehicle type and household income, and applications are filed after registration, creating pre-financing hurdles for leasing.
- Manufacturers and dealers are stacking incentives with the subsidy, including a Dacia Spring offer that can drop to €5,900 and a Citroën ë‑C3 promotion that matches the state grant for up to €12,000 off.
- Dealers warn of squeezed margins and falling used‑EV residual values, with smaller independents seen at particular risk as consolidation accelerates and profitability erodes.
- Critics such as Ferdinand Dudenhöffer question the efficiency and fairness of the scheme and caution it may benefit low-cost imports, while experts advise against a used‑EV subsidy due to legal and market-distortion risks.