The French government has announced an additional bonus of 1,000 euros for the purchase of an electric car equipped with a European battery from October 1, 2025. The measure, unveiled this Monday, September 8 by ministers Agnès Pannier-Runacher (Ecological Transition) and Marc Ferracci (Industry and Energy), aims to support the European automotive industry in the face of Chinese competition, while encouraging the energy transition.
This exceptional additional bonus is in addition to the ecological bonus, which has been reinforced since July 1, 2025. By combining the two schemes, total assistance can reach 5,200 euros for the most modest households and 4,100 euros for other buyers. It's a godsend for residents of the Paris region who want to make the switch to electric vehicles, especially as the number of low-emission zones(ZFE) in the region is increasing.
To qualify for this enhanced incentive, the vehicle must meet specific criteria: be assembled in Europe with a European battery, cost less than 47,000 euros excluding options, and have a mass in running order of less than 2.4 tonnes. The French Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) will publish the list of eligible vehicles on its official website in the next few days.
This measure is part of a drive to strengthen the European Union's competitiveness in the face of Chinese competition, particularly from major groups such as BYD. It echoes Mario Draghi's call on September 9, 2024 to "implement explicit Made in Europe criteria". In this way, France wishes to encourage the relocation of the electric vehicle value chain and support European industrial employment.
Several battery factories have been set up in northern France, including ACC, which supplies Stellantis brands, and Envision, which is to produce for Renault. This bonus should encourage manufacturers to source from these European plants rather than Asian ones.
As of July 1, 2025, the ecological bonus has changed its name to "coup de pouce véhicules électriques" and is no longer financed by the State but by energy saving certificates (CEE) from energy suppliers. Depending on income and household composition, assistance ranges from 3,100 to 4,200 euros, an increase on the previous 2,000 to 4,000 euros.
The new 1,000-euro bonus completes this already strengthened scheme. For low-income households, this represents a substantial saving that can make all the difference when choosing an electric vehicle. What's more, some manufacturers are offering additional incentives: at Renault, for example, assistance can reach up to 4,770 euros as of September 1.
According to Agnès Pannier-Runacher, this measure aims to "reconcile industrial employment with the energy transition" and to "defend our industrial fabric and our jobs". The Minister explains that "it's a win-win measure for purchasing power, the climate and industry".
The incentive comes just a few days before a European meeting in Brussels on the future of the automotive sector, which has been weakened by international competition. According to the government, this measure should concern tens of thousands of vehicles each year, and help accelerate the pace of electric vehicle registrations, which are still below the targets set by Brussels.
At the same time, the government is also relaunching social leasing of electric cars from September 30, enabling 50,000 low-income households to lease an electric vehicle for less than 140 euros a month. A proactive policy in line with France's national low-carbon strategy and energy transition.
To benefit from this additional assistance, the procedures remain identical to those for the classic ecological bonus. Buyers must ensure that their vehicle is on the list of eligible models that Ademe will shortly publish on the jechangemavoiture.gouv.fr website.
The bonus will be automatically deducted from the purchase price if the dealer advances the aid, as is generally the case for the ecological bonus. If this is not the case, the application must be made via the unique online deposit platform. Eligibility criteria include ownership of a vehicle assembled in Europe with a European battery, a purchase price of less than 47,000 euros incl. VAT, and a kerb weight of less than 2.4 tonnes.
We recommend that you check the eligibility of the vehicle you have chosen before ordering, and make sure that the dealer has signed an agreement with the Agence de Services et de Paiement. This new incentive confirms France's commitment to the electric vehicle, while favoring a European approach to today's industrial and environmental challenges.
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