Spain is at the tail of Europe in terms of electromobility. Only 9.6% of the car park corresponds to electrified vehicles, of which only 3.8% are pure electric, according to the 2022 annual report on electrified vehicles prepared by the employers’ association Anfac (Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers). .

These figures are very far from those presented by other European countries, such as Germany (31.4%), the United Kingdom (22.8%), Portugal (21.7%) and France (21.6%), which has led the Government to introduce changes in the conditions of the Moves III plan to promote the purchase of cars without emissions.

The Executive will subsidize the acquisition of pre-owned electric cars of up to 12 months under the Moves III plan, as established in a Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers, at the request of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. In this way, the framework for granting aid for electric mobility is reinforced with the aim of giving an additional boost to the sector and facilitating the introduction of “more affordable” cars on the market, as announced by the Ministry itself.

The Royal Decree contemplates the approval of three modifications to the requirements for access to aid from the Moves III programme, which is endowed with 1,200 million euros. Of this amount, 876 million euros have been transferred to the autonomous communities. The new measures benefit both buyers and dealers, since in addition to including pre-owned cars in the aid, the number of vehicles that can be marketed increases.

With the introduction of these modifications in the Moves plan, the Government intends to give a boost to electromobility in Spain and, incidentally, contribute to the rejuvenation of the car fleet, which at the end of 2022 reached a record average age of 13.9 years.

The high seniority of the copies that circulate on Spanish roads and streets entails a problem associated with the accident rate, since many old cars are not properly maintained and do not have the best security systems.

The renovation of the park could also have a positive impact on the environment. The oldest cars are the most polluting, being responsible for the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

By opening the range of aid to pre-owned cars, the Government hopes to reactivate a market, that of electric cars, which is still growing at a very slow pace. In 2022, 36,444 100% electric vehicles were registered, which represents 3.79% of total sales.

The price of a new zero-emission car is still out of reach for many Spaniards today, which will hardly contribute to reaching the figure of 250,000 electric vehicles that the Executive expects to circulate in Spain by the end of the year.

The Moves III plan has been in force since 2021 and consists of a grant of economic aid from the Government for the acquisition of pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The grants are also directed towards the installation of charging infrastructure.

The aid can reach up to 7,000 euros (9,000 euros delivering a vehicle to scrap) in the case of salespeople weighing up to 3,500 kg. For passenger cars, the subsidy reaches a budget of 4,500 euros (7,000 euros with scrap). In all cases, the subsidies are only applicable to copies with the Eco or Zero environmental label, that is, plug-in hybrids, electric or hydrogen cars, as we tell you here.