Renault Zoe Is Practically Free For Buyers Thanks To Subsidies On Electric Cars In Germany

Electric cars aren't known for being exactly affordable. But what if we told you that the Renault Zoe electric car can be yours for next to nothing? Sounds like a good deal to us. Electric car adoption is expected to get a huge boost in Europe as brand-new electric vehicles are up for sale at never-seen-before prices. Thanks to the subsidies offered by several European nations, some of these EVs are even free, like we just mentioned!

A new report by Bloomberg explains the subsidies on EVs, bringing their cost to ¡°less than the typical cost of a mobile-phone contract.¡± The new subsidies are a part of new stimulus packages released by both Germany and France last month to help their automobile industries recover from a drastic COVID-19 impact.

In the attempt to revive the auto sector, the countries also pushed for a sustainable direction for the industry to move forward, focusing more on electric vehicles for production. The simultaneous subsidies for buyers of EVs are now among the most favorable in the world, according to BloombergNEF.

Surge in electric car interest

A car carrier transporting Renault ZOE cars (Image: Reuters)

Since the subsidies, a sharp spike in interest is being reported in the virtual showrooms in Germany and France. For instance, Autohaus Koenig - a dealership chain across Germany, has started offering a lease for the Renault Zoe electric hatchback that is completely covered by subsidies.

Bloomberg reports that roughly 3,000 people have inquired and around 300 have signed contracts in the 20 days since the offer was announced.

¡°If we had more sales staff, we would have sold even more,¡± said Wolfgang Huber, head of electric-car sales for Autohaus Koenig, Berlin.

Similarly in France, sales of Renault Zoe are expected to double this year vis-a-vis the previous year thanks to the subsidies.

In the Netherlands, a 10 million-euro ($11.4 million) fund to boost EV sales was used up in just eight days this month, reports Bloomberg.

All time low prices of electric cars

A Renault ZOE electric car is seen connected to a charging point (Image: Reuters)

The rise in sales is a straight up result of the subsidies bringing the ownership cost of electric vehicles to even lower than those of gasoline vehicles.

In Germany, private drivers can lease an electric car for as little as 39 euros a month (~Rs 3,300). Similarly in France, customers can lease the Zoe from 79 euros (~Rs 6,700) a month, thanks to subsidies up to 7,000 euros (~Rs 6 lakh) per car offered by the government.

Some of these offers have one-time fees or down payments though.

The increase in the interest in electric cars in the European nations is a shining example of how government efforts can translate to cleaner commutes on the roads of a nation. With many governments pushing for such zero-emissions vehicles, as well as the falling battery prices, the day is not far when the prime option for a car buyer would be an electric one!