What future for the conversion bonus?

The conversion bonus is a system aimed at encouraging the replacement of polluting vehicles with others considered “clean” (not running on gasoline or diesel). This financial aid, which benefited 45,000 people this year, and will cost 150 million euros to public finances, was set to disappear in the 2025 finance bill… A project on stand-by following the fall of the Barnier government.

What is the conversion bonus?

Established under the name of “scrapping bonus” in 1995 by the government of Édouard Balladur, the system which was then renamed “conversion bonus” is financial aid encouraging the French to drive “cleaner”. The Crit'Air stickers serve as a reference for granting the conversion bonus. As a reminder, these stickers introduced in 2016 correspond to the following classification: Crit'Air 1: electric and hybrid vehicles, Crit'Air 2: recent gasoline, recent diesel Crit'Air 3: older gasoline, older diesel Crit'Air 4: very old diesel, Crit'Air 5: all Euro 2 vehicles or vehicles registered between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2000 inclusive The “ conversion bonus” thus allocates a bonus to owners who get rid of a vehicle classified Crit'Air 3 or higher, to buy or rent a recent electric or thermal car. In the first case, the bonus can go – depending on the income of the tax household, up to 5,000 euros. In the second, up to 3,000 euros.

The ecological bonus and social leasing not called into question

Concomitantly with the end of the conversion bonus, Bercy had announced that it was favoring the sustainability of the ecological bonus… “The government confirms that it is putting an end to the conversion bonus system, which is based on a condition of depositing a polluting vehicle, to focus on the ecological bonus”, indicated, last November, a spokesperson for Bercy Implemented on January 1, 2008, the ecological bonus is a financial aid, which, too, aims to encourage. use of vehicles less polluting. Currently between 4,000 and 7,000 euros depending on income, this bonus is granted for the purchase or long-term rental of electric or hydrogen cars. In addition, social leasing, which allows the most modest households to. claiming long-term rental, for 100 euros per month, was also maintained in the 2025 finance law, but in different terms.

A reprieve for the conversion bonus?

The government of Michel Barnier was overthrown on Wednesday December 4 by a motion of censure voted by the left and the far right, after the use of 49.3 on Monday to try to have the Social Security financing bill adopted without a vote . One of the immediate consequences is the freezing of debates on the 2025 budget. In this context, an identical carryover of expenditure and revenue from the 2024 budget could be applied for 2025, notably offering a reprieve from the conversion bonus …