The ecological bonus remains to this day the main aid for the purchase of an electric car in France. Without rental conditions, it reduces the bill by 5,000 euros for all individuals and by 7,000 euros for households with low incomes.
Tesla opens the ball on this bonus excluding options
Main criterion to respect: the acquisition price, which must not exceed 47,000 euros. However, this eligibility criterion is based on the price excluding vehicle options, whereas until now we took into account the total price, including the chosen color, for example, and additional equipment.
Tesla was the first to react by integrating this subtlety into its online configurator on October 27. If we take the example of a Model Y Propulsion, which starts at 45,990 euros, it is possible, for example, to change white, a “free” color, for blue at 1,600 euros. The bill then reaches 47,590 euros, above the maximum limit of 47,000 euros, but Tesla applies the bonus for a final score… of 42,590 euros.
An important nuance: until now, in certain models relatively close to 47,000 euros, it was strongly recommended not to exceed this amount in order to benefit from the bonus. Who would give up at least a 10% discount on their new vehicle for a simple color? Or, in the case of Tesla, with an improved Autopilot that can also be purchased after purchasing the car through the online store?
But what is the reason for this discovery more than 10 months after the application of the last bonus? The ministerial decree published on December 4, 2022 clearly specified that the 2023 ecological bonus was based on the price without “non-intrinsic equipment of the vehicle, such as optional equipment.” A change compared to previous systems, which would have escaped the vast majority of professionals.
Six months to claim the bonus
In reality, it would be an official document distributed at the beginning of October among manufacturers and their distribution networks that would recall the conditions for granting the bonus, reveals the latest magazine. Auto Plus.
Many online configurators consulted this Wednesday morning had not yet included this consideration of the bonus excluding options. In an electric Renault Mégane E-Tech or a Peugeot 308, for example, subscribing to options that increase the price beyond 47,000 euros means losing, on paper, the right to benefit from the ecological bonus.
A problematic point because it is generally up to the dealer to advance the amount of this assistance in the final invoice. So let’s see with this professional, if you have recently bought a new electric car for just over 47,000 euros, if he can help you get the most out of it. The same if you have planned this purchase before December 15 and the announced transition to the 2024 bonus.
In fact, the request must be made no later than 6 months following the delivery of the vehicle or the payment of the first rental in the case of vehicles acquired under leasing. But given this context around the bonus, management could be conciliatory by granting additional time.
Otherwise, it is always possible to make a “personal request” via the public service’s website. A solution that is combined with the application for a conversion voucher, which can be done entirely online or “semi-dematerialized”: after having completed the online form, send the supporting documents by mail according to what is indicated in the summary of your order.
Source: BFM TV
