Lindner defends the end of the state purchase premium for e-cars
There was therefore never a "subsidy guarantee", but it was clear: "When the money is gone, it's gone."
The Federal Ministry of Economics had announced on Saturday that applications for the subsidy bonus for e-cars could only be accepted until midnight on Sunday. The reason for this was budget cuts. The abrupt end to the state purchase premium was met with criticism. The CDU accused the coalition government of leaving tens of thousands of car buyers in the lurch. Deputy parliamentary party leader Ulrich Lange called for a transitional solution in the Funke newspapers.
There was also resentment within the coalition. The SPD criticized the short-term end as "extremely unfortunate. "The deputy SPD parliamentary group leaders Detlef Müller, Matthias Miersch and Verena Hubertz called on Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Sunday to "organize a more reliable transition".
The ministry's move concerns the so-called environmental bonus, through which buyers of e-cars could receive several thousand euros in subsidies from the state upon application. Last week, the coalition leaders decided to phase out the subsidy in their agreement on the 2024 budget. However, the fact that the application freeze was to take effect on Sunday came as a surprise to many.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a total of around ten billion euros has been paid out for around 2.1 million electric vehicles via the environmental bonus since 2016. The German government wanted to use the funding to support its goal of putting a total of 15 million fully electric cars on the roads by 2030.
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- Despite the criticism from the CDU and the SPD, Christian Lindner, the leader of the FDP, firmly defended the decision to end the state purchase premium for e-cars by Sunday night.
- The abrupt end of the state purchase premium for e-cars, announced by the Federal Ministry of Economics on Saturday, has sparked controversy among political parties and car buyers.
- On Sunday, the FDP's Christian Lindner appeared on ARD's "Report from Berlin" to explain why the subsidy for e-cars is being phased out.
- The budget cuts necessitated the end of the state purchase premium for e-cars, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics, which also stated that once the money was gone, it was not available for extensions or exceptions.
- The SPD, led by Detlef Müller, Matthias Miersch, and Verena Hubertz, criticized the sudden end of the state purchase premium as "extremely unfortunate" and called on Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck to organize a more reliable transition.
- The sudden end of the state purchase premium for e-cars, which allowed buyers to receive several thousand euros in subsidies from the state for the purchase of electric vehicles, has left tens of thousands of car buyers uncertain about their future purchases.
- The move to end the state purchase premium for e-cars has also drawn criticism from environmental groups, who argue that it will slow down Germany's transition to a sustainable transport system and could harm the country's goals to increase the number of fully electric cars on the roads to 15 million by 2030.
- According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the state has paid out a total of around ten billion euros for around 2.1 million electric vehicles via the environmental bonus since 2016, with the aim of supporting Germany's transition to a sustainable transportation system.
Source: www.stern.de
