Electric cars will continue to receive public support in Spain next year, something that the sector does not enjoy in most of Europe, where the most common form of aid is through tax incentives, such as the Portuguese case – and Germany is another exception, as it has just announced a plan to support purchases for next year. Although it’s great news for cars, the presentation of the new software, called Plan Auto+, by the head of government, Pedro Sanchez, on Wednesday, left several questions.
When will the new plan take effect and what amounts will it grant?
Auto+ will begin rolling out next year, starting January 1, when the current Moves plan, which has had successive multi-year extensions, expires. The government, which has allocated 400 million euros for the new programme, is still working on it. One thing that is still unknown is how much assistance applicants will receive. It is known that it will only cover the purchase of electric and hybrid cars, leaving support for charging points to individuals and operators who want to place charging points in places such as supermarkets or shopping centres. Individuals will be offered incentives for charging points, if available, by independent brands or communities that see fit.
What makes it different from moves? Will it take this long to help?
The main difference lies, in the absence of knowledge of quantities, in the speed of processing. Moves is a program that falls under the wing of the Ministry of Ecological Transformation, which is responsible for distributing funds between autonomous communities, which are then responsible for processing files and providing assistance to users who meet the requirements. This aspect has been strongly criticized by the sector due to the lack of transparency from communities in the progress of the program and the extreme slowness in its administration, with cases where the waiting time may exceed two years. The new Auto+, on the other hand, will be managed directly by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, which promises that it will be “direct assistance” similar to Restart Auto+, the assistance program for all those who lost their car in last year’s disastrous Valencia disaster and which the automotive community has praised.
What happens to the queue of moves?
The waiting list left by Movs is large, at about 350 million euros, according to sources in the sector. This includes not only vehicle aids but also the installation of charging points. For all these requests, the Executive has approved an additional provision of another 400 million euros for the moves that will remain in effect until December 31, information provided by EL PAÍS. That is, until then, all those who ask for help to purchase electric cars know the amount they can aspire to (for example, in the case of an electric car, the amount is 4,500 euros, increaseable to 7,000 if the scrapping of an old combustion vehicle is added).
Is it better to wait or buy an electric one now?
The reality is that the current scenario, although there is certainty that there will be aid next year, is tinged with uncertainty. Since the amounts are unknown, they may rise, fall or be identical to current movements in 2026. News in this regard may arrive at the beginning of the year and may be approved retroactively to January 1. It should be noted that until December 31, a deduction of up to a maximum of €3,000 from the income tax return for the purchase of an electric car is also valid. It is not clear whether this latest incentive will continue into next year, but it is expected that this will be the case.
Will Auto+ help boost electric sales?
The arrival of this new plan, which promises to be more flexible, could give a final boost to electric mobility not only because of the aid but because of the context of the sector. Next year, several models under €25,000 will hit the market and can still be very attractively priced by adding assistance. Some cases are the four models that the Volkswagen Group will manufacture in Barcelona and Navarra starting in 2026: Cupra Rafale, Volkswagen I.D. Polo, Volkswagen ID. Cross and Skoda Epic. It will be joined by other models, such as the Kia EV2, which will be manufactured in Slovakia, or the Renault Twingo, which will be assembled in Slovenia, and its price will start at less than 20 thousand euros.