BONN/BOCHUM (dpa-AFX) - The new subsidy for electric vehicles has caused a sharp increase in customer interest just days after its announcement. Both online platforms MeinAuto.de and Carwow, as well as Thomas Peckruhn, President of the German Motor Vehicle Trade Association (ZDK), confirmed this to dpa upon request. On some platforms, the number of inquiries has multiplied. However, there has also been criticism, including from industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer.
"We are currently seeing very high interest. I think it is being very well received by private customers," says Peckruhn about the subsidy program. Experience shows that such government initiatives always trigger a strong reaction among customers. This was already the case with the scrappage bonus in 2009 and later with the first electric car subsidy. Unfortunately, the abrupt end of those programs also had a strong effect in the opposite direction.
Many Customers Have Questions
Many customers also come with questions, says Peckruhn. Things become complicated, especially with leasing contracts, when the premium must be pre-financed—after all, it can only be applied for after registration. As a result, some customers are currently waiting to see exactly how the regulations will be implemented. The ZDK has therefore already called on the federal government to waste no time in rolling out the program.
However, another group of customers has already placed orders, in some cases as early as last year, once it became clear that the registration date would be decisive for eligibility. Given the delivery times for new cars, it usually takes months between ordering and new registration. Therefore, it is likely that the impact of the subsidy on new registrations will only become fully apparent in a few months. Only then will it be clear whether the bonus has merely generated interest and requests for information, or also led to actual purchases.
Steep Increases Online
The high level of interest is also clearly visible online: At Meinauto.de, traffic to pages about electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and subsidies has increased more than tenfold compared to December, according to a spokesperson. Interestingly, interest in other types of powertrains has also risen, though to a much lesser extent. "The subsidy has apparently sparked a desire for new cars among many."
Carwow recorded an increase in inquiries about electric cars to more than three times the previous week after the official announcement of the subsidy. As a result, electric vehicles accounted for nearly three-quarters of all inquiries.
€1,500 to €6,000 in Subsidies
Last week, the Federal Ministry for the Environment announced that private customers buying pure electric cars, plug-in hybrids, or electric cars with range extenders could again receive government support. Depending on the type of vehicle and personal circumstances, the subsidy ranges from €1,500 to €6,000. However, there are income limits—for a family with two children, for example, the cap is €90,000. And the maximum subsidy of €6,000 is only available to families with a household income of no more than €45,000.
This is where Dudenhöffer's criticism comes in: "Families with children who have an annual income of €45,000 or less typically buy used cars and, if they live in cities, usually have no way to install a wallbox," says the industry expert. Overall, the bonus is "a tax-funded subsidy program" that the market does not need. After all, even before its introduction, increasing discounts on electric cars had already boosted sales.
Subsidy Could Encourage Imports from China
It will now be interesting to see whether the bonus leads to an increase in cheap imports—especially from China, he says. "The Ministry for the Environment has created the conditions for this with the subsidy." In particular, German premium manufacturers Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, with their comparatively expensive cars, may have to watch from the sidelines. "A small e-car boom will not help secure jobs in the German auto industry."
At least in January, the announcement of the bonus has not led to sharp changes in discounts for key models. There had been concerns that manufacturers would offer less of their own discounts if the government made cars cheaper. However, for the most important vehicles tracked by Dudenhöffer, the average discount on electric cars actually increased slightly last month. "Apart from a few teaser offers, we have seen little systematic change in the market due to the announcement of the subsidy," says Dudenhöffer./ruc/DP/zb
