Getting off to a flying start is never without risks, in particular that of a more or less controlled skid. The first steps of social leasing, a long-term rental mechanism, which should allow disadvantaged households to access electric cars, suggest a trajectory which may not be entirely straight.
Launched in December 2023, in accordance with a commitment made by Emmanuel Macron during his 2022 presidential campaign, this rental with option to purchase (LOA) formula is already enjoying great success. The first beneficiaries have been delivered, and, at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, we declare ” pleasantly surprised “. At the beginning of January, there were 91,000 applications submitted, three-quarters of which would a priori be admissible. For their part, manufacturers are banking on a total of around 50,000 firm requests.
Accessible to households whose reference tax income per share is less than 15,400 euros per year, this system is aimed at workers who live at least 15 kilometers from their place of work or must travel more than 8,000 kilometers per year to professional reasons. The formula, which provides for the payment by the State of a bonus of 13,000 euros, allows you to drive an electric vehicle for a period of three years (renewable once).
Price war
For the beneficiary, the monthly rent is at most 100 euros (without initial contribution) for a compact car (Peugeot e-208, Renault Zoé) and 150 euros for a family car (Renault Mégane E-Tech, Hyundai Kona). Only vehicles whose carbon footprint is below a certain threshold are eligible, which de facto excludes imports from China or Japan.
Initially, the government was counting on 20,000 files for 2024, due to not being able to have a sufficient number of models capable of displaying a limited price. This was without taking into account the zeal of the builders. Embroiled in a price war and fearing a slowdown in sales, brands have multiplied tempting offers, some of which cost less than 100 euros.
Citroën has already launched orders within the framework of social leasing for the ë-C3, an electric model which has not yet appeared in dealerships, offered from 54 euros per month. At Fiat, the 500e is offered from 49 euros. In total, the Stellantis group, which offers nine models across five brands, already has nearly 30,000 validated files.
You have 60% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.