End clap for the conversion bonus. This aid, which made it possible to obtain up to 5,000 euros for the purchase of a low-polluting vehicle in exchange for an old car, will be abolished next year. According to the Ministry of the Economy, the objective is to refocus financial resources on the ecological bonus and social leasing, measures considered more effective in encouraging the acquisition of electric vehicles.
Ecological bonus and social leasing
Established in 2018, the conversion bonus made it possible to renew part of the French vehicle fleet. More than a million bonuses have been distributed, mainly affecting low-income, often rural households, and targeting vehicles with a high carbon footprint (in other words, the most polluting). In 2024, this system had already been reduced, with stricter income conditions and capped amounts. The vehicles scrapped, 75% of diesels aged 19 years on average, were 66% replaced by electric or hybrid models.
But Bercy believes that the bonus does not have sufficient impact to justify its extension. The ministry recalls that this measure cost around 150 million euros per year, an amount now redirected towards measures considered more strategic.
The ecological bonus, the State's main tool to support the energy transition for motorists, is maintained. It currently offers aid of 4,000 to 7,000 euros, depending on income. “ This is a choice that some of our neighbors, such as Germany, have not made. », Underlines the ministry, which sees it as a solution to make electric vehicles more accessible.
Another lever: social leasing, a rental formula for electric vehicles at a reduced rate, intended for the most modest households. This system will be accompanied by “energy saving certificates”, a mechanism financed by the “polluter pays” principle. The objective? Encourage not only individuals, but also businesses to electrify their fleets.
The budget allocated to aid for clean mobility will thus reach one billion euros in 2025, an amount which nevertheless arouses criticism: it is half less than in 2024… The risk is that of a slowdown in the transformation of the fleet rolling.
Additional measures, such as sanctions for companies not greening their fleets, are also being considered.
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