Stellantis indicated on Thursday, February 15, that it had obtained 70% of the “social leasing” contracts established by the government to facilitate access to electric mobility, while Renault represented 10,000 orders out of a total of 50,000.
The State decided on Tuesday to end the 2024 edition of this system that allows the less fortunate to access an electric car for 100 euros per month, after having “exceeded” its initial objectives in six weeks, according to the Elysée. But the operation will be relaunched at the end of 2024 by 2025, the executive stressed.
“Social leasing was an excellent initiative to protect the freedom of movement of the most restricted households,” explained Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares, referring to a “market share greater than 70%,” according to “our estimates.”
Renault has received “a little more than 10,000” orders, said its boss Luca de Meo in Boursorama.
No natural market
“Social leasing”, launched in December 2023 by President Emmanuel Macron, offered rental – sometimes with an option to purchase (LOA) – for less than 100 euros per month for electric city cars and 150 euros for family cars ( not including insurance and maintenance). , without initial contribution and for three years, renewable once.
This measure was aimed at modest French people who drive a lot and buy few new cars for budgetary reasons and who, therefore, should have waited for more electric vehicles to arrive on the second-hand market to equip themselves.
The offer, which lowered the price of a new electric car to that of a two-wheeled vehicle, was immediately a victim of its success.
These subsidies are “necessary” because “there is still no natural market” for electric cars, said Luca de Meo.
Risk of falling sales of electric cars
“A medium-term strategy will be needed to continue having support,” he explained in BFM Business, asking “above all to avoid” a too sudden fall in the market, evoking the German situation.
In Germany, after the sudden elimination of the environmental bonus for individuals in December, sales of new electric cars represented only 10% of the market in January, compared to 18.4% in 2023.
In the absence of public subsidies, Constantin Gall, from the EY company in Germany, stated in early February that he expected a drop in new electric registrations in the coming months, due to prices that are still too high.
Source: BFM TV
