Munich will invest €22 million to support all types of e-mobility, contrary to the federal purchase subsidy scheme favouring e-cars and hybrid cars only

The City of Munich shows the way how public support for e-mobility solutions should work. With a budget of €22 million it will give subsidies for the purchase of electric two-, three and four-wheelers and related recharging infrastructure needed to operate these vehicles. The purchase subsidies are restricted to commercial purposes only (companies, self-employed, etc.), not for private persons.

The co-funding rate for e-vehicles is set at 25 % of the net price. For pedelecs, the maximum purchase subsidy is 500 Euro, for e-cargo bikes 1,000 Euro. If the e-cargo bike replaces a conventionally-fuelled car put out of usage, the purchase subsidy can be increased to a total of up to 2,000 Euro. According to cargobikejetzt.de, a site promoting to use of cyclelogistics, 220 funding requests for pedelecs and 60 for e-cargobikes have been submitted since the scheme has gone live 2 ½ months ago. Out of the 60 applications for e-cargobikes, 43 received a positive reply, none negative while 17 decisions are still pending (State: July 18). The funding scheme will operate until the end of 2017.

E-cars were initially entitled to receive up to 4,000 Euro funding. However, since the purchase subsidy scheme for e-cars has been put in place by the German national government in May 2017, the City of Munich does not co-fund the purchase of e-cars anymore to avoid double-funding.

A network of 56 cycling-friendly cities in the German state of Baden-Württemberg has sent a public letter to German federal transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, to extend the federal e-mobility purchase subsidy scheme to pedelecs and e-cargobikes.

Links:

The City of Munich’s e-mobility purchase subsidy scheme: https://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/Stadtverwaltung/Referat-fuer-Gesundheit-und-Umwelt/Klimaschutz_und_Energie/Elektromobilitaet/Foerderprogramm_Elektromobilitaet.html

Cargobikejetzt.de: http://cargobike.jetzt/kaufpraemie-in-muenchen/

AGFK Baden- Württemberg letter to German transport minister: https://www.agfk-bw.de/presse/news-single/300000-e-lastenfahrraeder-mit-1000-euro-pro-rad-foerdern/vom/21/6/2016/ https://www.agfk-bw.de/uploads/tx_news/Offener_Brief_an_Verkehrsminister_Dobrindt.pdf

Süddeutsche: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/elektromobilitaet-stadt-dampftzuschuesse-fuer-kauf-von-e-autos-ein-1.3073569