A decree published in Official newspaper September 20, 2023 added eligibility criteria for the ecological bonus for new passenger cars. On December 15, a first list of car models that remain eligible for the ecological bonus, taking into consideration the new conditions, will be published.
Reminder
the ecological bonus is State aid, intended for individuals and professionals, for the purchase or rental of an electric and/or hydrogen vehicle, new or used (for individuals only, in the latter case ). For a new car, the ecological bonus cannot be granted if the purchase price is greater than €47,000.
The amount of the bonus can reach, for the most modest households, up to €7,000 for a car and €8,000 for a van. It is established according to the price of the vehicle, the nature of the applicant (individual or legal entity) and, in the case of an individual, their reference tax income per share.
What are the new criteria?
Until now, in terms of environmental impact, only the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the vehicle on the road were taken into consideration.
From October 10, car manufacturers will have to submit a detailed file to the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), by car model and by version, the same model being able, for example, to have different types of batteries. Ademe will then assign an environmental score to the cars, taking into account in particular:
- the materials used (steel, aluminum, ferrous metals, etc.) for the manufacture of the vehicle;
- CO2 emissions linked to the energy used for intermediate transformations and vehicle assembly;
- CO2 emissions linked to battery production;
- the delivery of the car, by examining the different means of transport used (boat, train, truck, etc.) from the assembly site to the distribution site in France.
The decree specifies that, where applicable, the presence of recycled and bio-sourced materials in the vehicle, as well as the repairability of the battery, will be taken into consideration in the calculation of the environmental score.
To note
the decree of September 20, 2023 specifies that the previous eligibility criteria continue to apply for new cars “ordered or for which the rental contract was signed before December 15, 2023 inclusive, provided that their invoicing or payment of the first rent occurs on March 15, 2024 at the latest.”