Upswing with side effects: How Chinese and wealthy people benefit from the German electric car bonus
Since January, the state has been promoting private buyers of battery cars with a total of three billion euros. Not every bonus achieves a desired goal. And doubts are growing whether the help is necessary.
The German government has allocated €3 billion to promote the purchase of electric vehicles, with the goal of supporting the struggling automotive industry and reducing carbon emissions. Since January, nearly 37,000 applications have been approved, with €162 million paid out, and the number of new electric vehicle registrations has increased by over 50% compared to the same period last year.
However, some politicians and experts have raised concerns that the subsidy is also being used by wealthy households to purchase high-end electric vehicles, such as those from Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW, which can cost over €100,000. Critics argue that the subsidy should be targeted towards lower-income households and that a price cap should be introduced to prevent abuse.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
