More fees for electricians starting in October
The Croatian Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency announced the launch of a new application period in October for support in purchasing electric cars for private individuals. 20 million euros, or approximately 87.6 million złoty, will be available for allocation. It is estimated that the funds will suffice for around 3,000 new vehicles. A new feature will be linking the amount of subsidy to the car’s price. For electric cars costing up to 35,000 euros gross, or about 153,000 złoty, the maximum subsidy will be 9,000 euros—approximately 39,400 złoty.
For cars priced between 35,000 and 62,500 euros, or roughly 153,000 to 274,000 złoty, the support will decrease to 7,000 euros—about 30,700 złoty. Regardless of the car’s price, the subsidy cannot exceed 40% of its value. Cars costing more than roughly 274,000 złoty will not be eligible for the program.
Croatia wants to support cheaper electric vehicles first
This represents a significant change from previous Croatian programs. The highest subsidy was allocated to vehicles in lower price ranges, where a few thousand euros can have the greatest impact on purchasing decisions.
The program will also cover electric motorcycles, mopedes, three-wheeled vehicles, and light four-wheelers. In these cases, the maximum subsidy will be 2,500 euros, or about 10,900 zł.
Each person will be able to receive support for one vehicle. Purchase or financial leasing is allowed, but operational leasing is not. Applications will be submitted electronically and processed in the order they are received, so with a limited budget, the program may end relatively quickly.
Croatia is not starting from scratch. In recent years, the country has allocated around 63 million euros to subsidize over 11,000 vehicles. Last year, another 21 million euros were spent supporting companies and entrepreneurs purchasing electric vehicles.
Germany is subsidizing again. Interest is high
Croatia is no exception. In 2026, Germany also launched a new subsidy system for electric cars, having abruptly ended its previous program at the end of 2023.
The new support applies to cars registered from the beginning of 2026, and applications can be submitted starting in May. The program is primarily aimed at low- and middle-income households.
The basic subsidy for electric cars is 3,000 euros, and it can rise to 6,000 euros, or about 26,300 złoty, due to additional payments based on income and the number of children. Germany also supports certain plug-in hybrids and range extender vehicles, with a maximum subsidy of 4,500 euros.
A total of 3 billion euros, or over 13 billion złoty, has been allocated for the program until 2029. According to the German government, these funds will be sufficient for around 800,000 cars.
At the beginning of October, the threshold of about 100,000 approved applications was exceeded. According to detailed data from October 1, 97,790 applications worth 432 million euros were approved. Over 91% of these applied to fully electric cars, while 8.4% were for plug-in hybrids and range extender vehicles.
Subsidies Also Remain in Other European Markets
The purchase program is also operational in Greece. In the third phase of “Kinoumai Ilektrika,” the basic subsidy for individuals amounts to 3,000 euros, or about 13,100 złoty. Additional funds can be obtained, for example, by recycling an old car, purchasing a home charger, or for certain beneficiary groups.
The program’s budget was increased this year to 76 million euros, and the application period has been extended until the end of December 2026 or until funds are exhausted earlier.
France took a slightly different approach. In addition to subsidy programs, another version of what’s known as social leasing is in place there for 2026. This program allows low-income households to use new electric cars for less than 200 euros per month. This year’s program is intended to cover around 50,000 households. The French have also introduced separate incentives for taxi drivers and people who commute long distances for work.
The systems vary greatly—from traditional purchase subsidies to cheaper leasing or tax breaks. However, the mechanism of public support for purchasing electric vehicles in Europe has certainly not disappeared.
In Poland, the subsidies have ended
From that point on, further applications were accepted on a conditional basis, and the application period was finally closed on April 30. In total, over 41,000 applications were submitted, totaling more than 1.3 billion złoty.
At the beginning of October, NFOŚiGW announced an increase in the budget by over 82 million złoty, raising it from around 1.18 billion to over 1.26 billion złoty. This might sound like a return of subsidies, but it is not.
The additional funds are intended to handle previously submitted applications, including those accepted on a conditional basis. No new application period has been opened, so anyone buying an electric car today can no longer take advantage of NaszEauto.
The year started well, but sales of electric cars have clearly slowed down now
The impact of subsidies on the Polish market is clearly shown in registration data. 2025 was a record year for electric cars. 43,3 thousand new passenger BEVs were registered, more than 2.5 times the number from the previous year, with their market share exceeding 7%.
At the beginning of 2026, the figures still looked quite good, but the situation began to change as the effects of NaszEauto faded. May was the first month to show a clear decline — BEV registrations dropped by 29% year-on-year.
Since then, the downward trend has continued. August saw a 34% year-on-year decline, with only 2189 new electric cars registered. September was better than the previous month but still worse than a year earlier: 3478 passenger BEVs were registered, 22% fewer than in September 2025.
This marked the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year decline. Electric vehicles accounted for 6.2% of the total market, down from 8.9% the previous year.
Experts expected exactly this scenario
The current results are not a major surprise. Experts at PSNM had previously indicated that after the end of NaszEauto in the second half of 2026, a temporary drop in electric vehicle registrations could be expected.
Germany was cited as an example, where after the end of a previous subsidy program, the share of BEVs in new registrations dropped from 18.4% in 2023 to 13.5% in 2024.
Interestingly, Germany reinstated support in 2026 after that experience, but under a new format that was more profitable and family-oriented. Croatia is taking a similar approach by directing the highest subsidies toward cheaper cars.
Piotr Sobczyk