Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner wants to abolish purchase premiums for electric cars. “We can simply no longer afford misdirected subsidies,” said the FDP leader of the “Welt am Sonntag”.
“If I have my way, the purchase premiums for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, for example, will be abolished. So far, the cars have been subsidized with up to 20,000 euros over their lifetime, even for top earners. This is too much. We can save billions that we can use more sensibly.”
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The finance minister is insisting that the federal government once again comply with the debt brake suspended in the corona pandemic in 2023. Lindner wants to prioritize projects. At the beginning of July, the cabinet wants to decide on the draft budget.
The ADAC demanded planning security from the federal government. “Against the background of the funding, many consumers have already ordered an electric vehicle,” said Transport President Gerhard Hillebrand on Saturday.
“For most models, the delivery times extend well into the next year, so that the planned state subsidy threatens to be dropped. So far there has been no indication that the federal government intends to stop subsidies for purely battery-powered new cars from next year.” Lindner’s proposal is unacceptable in view of the political expectations.
So far, the traffic light is planning a reform of government premiums for the purchase of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. According to plans by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), the subsidy for plug-in hybrid cars is to be canceled at the end of 2022, earlier than previously planned. Plug-in hybrids combine an electric motor and a combustion engine. According to Habeck’s plans, there should also be less money from the state for pure electric cars in the future.
Lindner had already spoken out in favor of reducing state subsidies. At the end of May he said at the “Business Day” of the CDU Economic Council in Berlin that the state not only had to get used to the “addiction to new debts”. “We also have to get used to the addiction to new subsidies,” said Lindner.
