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THE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE GRANTS HAS RECENTLY CHANGED Reader Question: I am looking to purchase a new car, but want a hybrid instead of an electric. Am I still eligible for the
ecological grants from the French government? Hybrid vehicles used to be eligible for France’s main ecological vehicle grants, the bonus écologique. In 2024, however, the rules changed and
this bonus is exclusively reserved for fully electric or hydrogen vehicles. Hybrid cars were also previously eligible to benefit from the prime à la conversion, which saw drivers receive up
to €5,000 when exchanging their vehicle for a newer model. However, this scheme was axed at the end of 2024. Read more: Prime à la conversion will end in France in 2025 WHAT ARE THE
BENEFITS OF PURCHASING A HYBRID VEHICLE? Despite hybrid vehicles no longer being eligible for these bonuses, there are still some advantages to purchasing such cars. Drivers can still
benefit from local bonuses, including in Occitanie and Greater Paris, to reduce the cost of purchasing a hybrid vehicle. Other local aids may also be available – you can check with
authorities in your commune, department, and region to check. Bonuses to install a charging port at your home for a plug-in hybrid are also available in the same way as for electric
vehicles. Read more: Are electric vehicle grants available for second-home owners in France? ARE HYBRIDS CHEAPER THAN ALL-ELECTRIC CARS? In general, hybrid cars are cheaper than fully
electric counterparts, as they have smaller batteries, but this can depend on the type of hybrid you are purchasing. They come in two kinds, ‘rechargeable’, meaning you can plug it in to
charge it, or ‘non-rechargeable’ where the battery is charged up (only) via use of the car, for example, harnessing energies from the braking or deceleration processes. ‘Rechargeable’
hybrids typically cost more than ‘non-chargeable’ due to a comparatively larger battery, and charging equipment. However, they are always classed at Crit’Air level 1 (the second-highest)
with regard to air pollution, whereas non-rechargeable are not necessarily so. This means they can drive without restriction in areas where low-emission zones (Zones à faibles émissions,
ZFEs) have been put in place.