The Ministry of Economics wants to abolish subsidies for plug-in hybrids as early as the end of 2022

Volkswagen VW Bus T7 plug-in hybrid

Plug-in hybrids are often also heavy SUVs.

(Photo: imago images/Manfred Segerer)

Berlin The Federal Ministry of Economics wants to cancel state subsidies for plug-in hybrid vehicles faster than previously planned. The subsidies for vehicles with a combination of electric and combustion engines are scheduled to expire at the end of 2022 – contrary to what was provided for in the coalition agreement.

This emerges from a letter from Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Kellner (Greens) to members of the traffic light coalition, which was available to the German Press Agency. First the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Thursday edition) reported about it.

Specifically, the subsidy rates for purely battery-electric vehicles are to be degressive from January 1, 2023 to 2025, as provided for in the coalition agreement, i.e. gradually falling. The funding for plug-in hybrid vehicles will end on December 31, 2022. A subsidy for these vehicles depending on the electric mileage would have led to “disproportionately high costs” and was therefore rejected.

The coalition agreement states that the funding for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids should be fundamentally reformed so that from January 1, 2023 it will only be issued for vehicles that have a proven positive climate protection effect, which only has an electric drive component and a electrical minimum range will be defined.

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The proposals from the ministry of Robert Habeck (Greens) have not yet been coordinated within the coalition and are now to be submitted to departmental coordination within the federal government. There has long been criticism of the subsidization of plug-in hybrid cars in particular. It is disputed how much they are really driven in purely electric mode. Plug-in hybrids are often heavy SUVs.

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