BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Those hoping for government subsidies when purchasing an electric car will have to wait a few more days for the final details. Contrary to previous announcements, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) will not be providing information about the new purchase premium this Friday. The announcement has been postponed to Monday. The Environment Ministry cited "final detail coordination within the federal government" as the reason for the delay.
Some specifics of the upcoming subsidy have already been reported by the newspaper "Bild." According to these reports, the premium is expected to apply retroactively to electric cars newly registered since the turn of the year. Depending on income, family status, and other criteria, subsidies ranging from €1,500 to €6,000 are reportedly possible.
"The funds are estimated to cover about 800,000 vehicles over the next three to four years," Schneider told the newspaper. Last year, the Union and SPD agreed on new multi-billion euro purchase incentives, which are particularly intended to benefit households with low and middle incomes.
However, certain details remain unclear, such as the extent to which so-called plug-in hybrids will be subsidized—these are vehicles that can operate both on battery power and with fuel./hrz/DP/jha
