Electric car subsidies: 100,000 households with approved applications
The electric car subsidy can be applied for in Germany since mid-May. Demand is high: According to the Federal Environment Ministry, the first 100,000 applications worth over 430 million euros have now been approved — 90 percent for pure electric cars and the remaining 10 percent for plug-in hybrids.
Image: Stellantis
The BAFA has recently begun releasing monthly statistics on electric vehicle subsidies, including key details about applicants and the models supported. So far, data has been published for the status of approvals as of August 1, 2026, and September 1, 2026. Now comes the third update for October 1, with the Federal Environment Ministry — the agency responsible for overseeing these subsidies — seizing the opportunity to highlight that the threshold of 100,000 approved applications was surpassed at the beginning of October.
This figure represents the significantly accelerated approval process. As of September 1, BAFA reported around 50,000 applications processed, and by October 1, that number had doubled. Specifically, there were 97,790 approved applications by October 1. The 100,000 mark was actually reached shortly after this date. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider commented, “These are truly good news. The subsidy program has far exceeded our expectations and has already helped 100,000 households protect themselves from high fuel prices. Every additional electric car makes our country more independent of expensive oil imports and international conflicts. What’s especially important to me is that the social gradient is working. Finally, households that previously didn’t even consider it can afford an electric car. Leasing helps with this.”
Option. Additionally, small cars made by German manufacturers are finally hitting the market as well.”The electric vehicle incentive program was established on May 19, but it takes effect retroactively from January 1, 2026. The bonus is aimed specifically at private households and supports the purchase or leasing of new vehicles with battery-electric drive, fuel cell drive, as well as certain plug-in hybrids and range extenders.
The new BAFA report now shows, among other things, the number of grants awarded and the amount of funding disbursed. In addition, it provides breakdowns by type of propulsion and financing, income level and households with children, as well as by manufacturer, brand, and model. With these statistics, BAFA aims to clarify the situation following rumors that emerged shortly after the program began, suggesting that German subsidies primarily benefited Chinese brands.
Important: The statistics are based on data regarding applications that have already been approved. As of October 1, there were 97,790 such applications — up from 52,473 a month earlier. This is good news for reducing the backlog of applications: the processing speed is increasing. At the beginning of August, BAFA already reported reaching 100,000 approved applications. By now, the number of incoming applications is likely much higher.
According to BAFA, as of October 1, 432 million euros were disbursed to applicants with approved subsidies — up from 230 million on September 1 and 117 million on August 1, 2026. In terms of vehicle types, 91.6 percent of applications relate to pure electric cars, while only 8.4 percent are for plug-in hybrids. Applications are still split almost evenly between purchase and leasing options. There is considerable consistency among the approved applications, with changes from the previous month’s statistics being minimal.
The typical applicant is also outlined by BAFA statistics: Over half (52.3 percent) of all previously approved applications fall into the lowest income category (annual taxable household income up to 45,000 euros). This is because the subsidies are tiered based on income as well as the number of minor children in the household. The next two income categories together account for another roughly 44,000 applications. The top two categories have even fewer than 3,000 applications each. In other words, the support indeed reaches those who need it most: people with relatively low to moderate incomes who might not be able to afford a new electric car without subsidies.
Interestingly, the vast majority of applicants did not specify having minor children: Around 65,000 applications, or two-thirds of all recipients, came from “households without children eligible for support,” according to BAFA. This also makes it clear that many do not receive the full subsidy amount of 6,000 euros. The amount of subsidies disbursed so far relative to the approved applications confirms this: On average, 4,418 euros per household was allocated, a slight increase compared to the statistics from the previous two months of 4,380 euros and 4,350 euros.
Let’s take a look at the brands and models that are particularly popular among those who have successfully applied so far. Below is a breakdown of the approvals by brand (Top 10):
| Rank | Brand | Number |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | Tesla | 12,155 |
| 2. | Skoda | 7.224 |
| 3. | Cupra | 6.229 |
| 4. | Leapmotor | 5.816 |
| 5. | BYD | 5.814 |
| 6. | Renault | 5.721 |
| 7. | VW | 5.464 |
| 8. | Kia | 5.424 |
| 9. | Hyundai | 4.988 |
| 10. | BMW | 4.679 |
The ranking shows consistency at the top three positions: Tesla is far ahead, followed by Skoda and Cupra from Volkswagen, just as in the previous month. What’s interesting is what happens behind them: The two Chinese brands Leapmotor and BYD are rising in the rankings—Leapmotor moving up from sixth to fourth place based on the last statistics, and BYD rising from seventh to fifth. They are pushing VW and Hyundai down to the lower end of the top-10. However, Volkswagen’s core brand is likely to regain its edge soon with its new electric compact cars, as deliveries of the ID. Polo and ID. Cross are set to begin soon. Renault has also become more popular among buyers, jumping from ninth to sixth place. In contrast, Kia and BMW have maintained their positions from the previous month. Either way, the field is relatively close behind the top two brands.
, so position changes are likely again next month as well.Let’s also take a look at the newly released ranking by BAFA of the top 10 subsidized models. As of October 1, the order was as follows:
| Rank | Model | Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | Tesla Model Y | 8,297 |
| 2. | Skoda Elroq | 5,478 |
| 3. | Tesla Model 3 | 3,845 |
| 4. | Citroen e-C3 | 3,583 |
| 5. | Leapmotor T03 | 3,561 |
| 6. | VW ID.3 | 3,541 |
| 7. | Hyundai Ioniq | 3,337 |
| 8. | BMW iX1 | 2,939 |
| 9. | Cupra Born | 2,806 |
| 10. | Dacia Spring | 2,402 |
Compared to last month’s statistics, the top three models remain unchanged, but the Citroen e-C3 has moved up significantly—from ninth place to fourth. The Leapmotor T03 takes the spot previously held by the VW ID.3. The other electric vehicles were also in the top 10 last month, with the exception of the Dacia Spring, which replaced the Fiat 500e in this month’s ranking. Interestingly, although Renault scored points in the brand rankings, it does not have any model in the top 10. The reason is that Renault has four models that are relatively popular among subsidy recipients, but none stand out. The Renault 5 received 1,963 applications, the E-Twingo received 1,257, the Renault 4 received 1,241, and the Scenic received 951.
Skoda offers a strong second model with the Enyaq, Cupra with the Tavascan, and Leapmotor with the B10. BYD also has a unique offering. Again, no single model stands out here, but many of BYD’s models receive at least three-digit numbers of orders. Additionally, the BYD Seal U DM-i is the most popular plug-in hybrid with 1,436 orders. Overall, Leapmotor and BYD perform exceptionally well in terms of government incentives. For now, Tesla’s, Skoda’s, and VW’s flagship models remain unaffected.
Premium vehicles are less common in the upper part of the rankings, but they are not excluded from these incentives either (there is no strict price limit, only an income threshold). As a result, some electric Porsche models also appear in the BAFA statistics.
