Premium for electric cars can also apply to cars that have already been purchased | Domestic

This is evident from the answer of Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters to a question from Green MP Stijn Bex. According to the Open Vld minister, the intention is that everyone who applies for a premium and meets the conditions will receive one. Bex has critical reservations about this.

Much has been said and written in recent weeks about the premium that the Flemish government has announced for the purchase of new and second-hand zero-emission cars. The premium already has a price ceiling of 40,000 euros including VAT. According to the minister, this ceiling avoids the “Matthew effect”. For 2024, 20 million euros will be allocated for a premium of 5,000 euros for new cars and 3,000 euros for second-hand cars. The premium will be degressive and will decrease in 2025 and 2026 by 1,000 euros per year for new cars and 500 euros for second-hand cars.

In the Mobility Committee, Green MP Stijn Bex asked about the precise modalities of the premium. For example, will work be done according to the principle? ‘first come first served’? And is part of the subsidy amount set aside for shared mobility?

Minister Peeters could not yet provide too many details about the precise scheme, because the draft subsidy decision is still before the Finance Inspectorate. “I hope to be able to put it on the government’s agenda at the end of October,” said the minister.

According to the minister, there are no barriers between private individuals and non-profit organizations and providers of shared mobility “to avoid underutilization”.

Furthermore, according to the minister, “the intention is that everyone who submits an application and meets the conditions will receive a premium.” According to the minister, the planned budget of 20 million euros is based on “a calculation of the likely number of applications”, but will be continuously monitored. “If adjustment is necessary, we will adjust. But this can be done in different ways. You can provide additional resources, but you can also reduce the premium,” he said.

Green MP Bex criticizes the minister’s approach. He criticizes, among other things, the lack of clarity and uncertainty. “You are actually saying to people who want to buy an electric car: you can apply for a premium, but it could well be that the premium will be a lot lower at the end of 2024,” says Bex.