Ecological bonus, social lease, battery surprise, local subsidies … Help for the purchase of an electric car have been multiplying lately. But in this series of devices, difficult to navigate for buyers. This is what arises from an opinionway study* for Aramisauto in a transition context to less polluting vehicles.
Expand help for the recent occasion
80% of motorists say they are lost to multiple changes in public purchase aid systems. The same proportion would also like these subsidies to spread to the purchase of a recent used thermal used vehicle, while they generally apply to 100% new electric cars. In fact, these aid aim to support the transition from the automobile fleet to “clean” cars, but also to support automotive production, while new car sales are far from having found their level before COVID.
The public seems quite convinced by these new engines: more than one in two motorists plans to change electricity or hybrid for their next vehicle (52% exactly or 9 points more than last year). The proportion is very close to the category of modest households, 49%, with greater increase, +13 points compared to the survey conducted in 2024.
A budget dedicated to the falling car
Three out of four motorists would like to create help dedicated to the purchase of useful cars reconditioned, the specialty of Aramisauto that ordered this study. An attractive formula, with more reliable vehicles than the classic occasion, and a way of going to a large majority of the French for whom the purchase of a new vehicle still seems unjustified.
The average monthly budget that a motorist dedicates to the purchase of a car demonstrates to be in a strong fall, at 238 euros per month (210 euros for modest homes), against 360 euros last year.
“Given this restriction, almost seven out of ten motorists have recently adopted at least a new mobility practice, for example, reducing the frequency of their trips (37%) or postponing the maintenance of their vehicle (15%),” says the presentation of this study.
Strong expectations for the Municipal 2026
In this difficult context, the abolition of low -emission areas (ZFE) is approved by 72% of respondents, enough to illustrate “an aspiration for accessible and pragmatic mobility solutions, instead of limitations that feel disconnected from the economic reality of homes.”
With the deadline for the next municipal elections in March 2026, this matter of mobility seems to be an essential issue for the French. 94 % believe that their future mayor must register at least one priority initiative in this area of mobility in their program.
Among the main expectations expressed in these next municipal elections: 42% wants an improvement in parking, 37% expect the development of the public transport offer and 32% highlight the need to facilitate mobility in rural and peri -urban areas.
Do you help “for the rich”?
Beyond this jungle of devices, where it is difficult to find its path, this study also shows that these different aid retains a certain bad image in public opinion: in course, they would only point to rich households, which obtain a price reduction in new and expensive cars.
79% of respondents indicate that “they are not public authorities to subsidize the acquisition of luxury cars or large SUVs, even electric.”
They are also 78% to discover that “the amount of automotive purchase aid does not allow you to consider buying an electric vehicle” and 74% to estimate that “the steps to take are too complex.”
The social lease aims to correct this trend, but with rents with purchase option that also have some inconveniences, and especially when aiming at very precarious homes. Enough to strengthen an exclusion effect on middle classes, not “poor enough” to benefit from help and “not rich enough” to benefit from it and buy a new car.
*Sample of 1,305 motorists, of a sample of 1,597 people, representative of the 18 -year -old French population. Within this sample, 387 people belonging to modest homes were questioned. The sample was formed in accordance with the quota method, with respect to the criteria of sex, age, socio -professional category, category of agglomeration and residence region. The sample was questioned from August 28 to September 1, 2025 by the self -administered online questionnaire in the CAWI system (computer -assisted web interview). The results of this survey should be read taking into account the margins of uncertainty: 1.4 to 3.1 points maximum for a sample of 1,000 respondents and from 2.3 to 5.3 points for a sample of 350 respondents.
Source: BFM TV
