Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
It’s been just a week since the Junta de Andalucía injected extra money into the subsidy scheme for the purchase of an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. The Moves III Plan was a success. The original 40 million euros were exhausted, and an additional 13 million had to be added from the more generous fund of charging points. From that extra money, only 1.2 million euros are left.
Data from the Andalusian Energy Agency’s website (AEA) shows that six million Euros are still left in the section of chargers.
The plan
The application period for the 2025 Moves III aid scheme opened on 15 July for the whole of Andalucía and, in just over two months, the fund had run dry. This is due to the fact that applications opened later in the calendar year than normal and also the rush towards cleaner cars. The low emission zones being implemented in cities and towns across the region have also contributed. Electric car sales in Malaga have soared by 115% this year.
The Junta raised the purchase aid to 13.36 millions euros on 8 October. By that time, there were nearly 10,200 requests, and approximately 1,900 of them were on the waitlist. The waitlist is what has caused the funds to be depleted so quickly.
The regional energy ministry, through the AEA decided to redistribute funds allocated under this scheme. A total of 66.78 millions euros were allotted. Thus, Andalucía had allocated a total of 53.42 million euros to aid the purchase of energy-efficient vehicles (line 1), which represented 80% of the total funds assigned. The balance of 13,35 million euros, which was originally intended to be used for charging infrastructure (line 2), has been transferred now to Line 1.
Waiting list
What happens if the budget has been exhausted and I have applied for assistance? There is a waiting-list and all submissions are treated in order.
Which vehicles are eligible? Fuel cell or hydrogen cars are eligible for a range of aids ranging from 4,500 euros to 7,000 depending on whether or not the previous vehicle has been scrapped. Pure electric and plug in hybrid cars that have a range between 30 to 90 kilometers are eligible for a range from 2,500-5,000 euros. In such cases, there is a sales limit of 45,000 euros (53,00 euros for vehicles with 8 or 9 seats).
The price range for electric, plug-in or hydrogen vans that have a range greater than 30 kilometers is between 7,000 and 9,000 euros.
For motorcycles with a maximum power of 3kW, and a range exceeding 70 kilometers, the assistance is between 1100 and 1.300 euros. The sales price cap is set at 10,000 euros.
Delays
Every round of the scheme has seen the automotive industry repeatedly ask for grants to be paid faster. Payments have sometimes been delayed by up to two years. Trade organisations like the Malaga association of dealerships and employers of the automotive sector (AMA) have proposed that the aid be linked to the date of purchase. Carlos Oliva confirmed that electric cars are in high demand and that many people were waiting on the list to receive these grants.
A 15% tax benefit is also available through the Personal Income Tax (IRPF). The tax relief limit is capped at 3,000 euros. The maximum base for deductions is 20,000 Euros.
The year 2025 looks promising for environmentally-friendly vehicles in Malaga. Total sales of electric, hybrid, and plug-in vehicles reached 13,627, a 51% increase. Diesel and petrol vehicles both saw significant declines, falling by 47.3% and 10.8% respectively. The registrations of petrol vehicles were 5,706 and diesel ones 555.
Hybrids still account for the largest share of eco-friendly cars: 6,707 registrations in 2017, up 30% on last year. With 1,976 vehicles purchased, electric vehicles came in second, a massive 105% growth. With 1,631 registrations they surpass plug-ins hybrids. This represents a 30 percent increase.
