One thousand euros to scrap an old car? ACAP believes it’s not enough.

The ACAP secretary-general advocates for higher incentives for vehicle scrapping and fears that new support for electric cars will have a limited impact.

© André Mendes / Razão Automóvel

The government announced that the new incentive program for purchasing electric cars for low-income families, worth up to 15,000 euros, will include an additional 1,000 euros for those who surrender a gasoline-powered car for scrapping.

This measure is well received by the Portuguese Automobile Association (ACAP), especially because it no longer requires vehicle scrapping to qualify for the main incentive. However, the announced amount is far from convincing the association.

In exclusive remarks to Razão Automóvel, Helder Pedro, ACAP’s general secretary, argued that the government should offer a higher subsidy to truly encourage drivers to get rid of their older vehicles.

In 2009, the incentive for vehicle scrapping was higher

Asked about the amount announced by the government, Helder Pedro recalled that Portugal has previously had incentive programs with higher subsidies for vehicle scrapping.

“In 2009, we already had an incentive program worth 1250 euros,” he said, arguing that 17 years later, “the amount could indeed be higher” if drivers are not sufficiently motivated to hand in their older vehicles.

Nevertheless, Helder Pedro views the decision to separate the incentive for purchasing an electric vehicle from the requirement to hand in a vehicle for scrapping as positive.

For ACAP, this should remain an option for buyers, accompanied by a financial incentive attractive enough to help renew Portugal’s vehicle fleet.

ACAP wants more comprehensive incentives

But the value of the discount for vehicle scrapping is not the only criticism ACAP has of the measures announced by the government.

Helder Pedro believes the incentives are still too limited in terms of the number of beneficiaries and argues that the government should pursue a more comprehensive program capable of supporting the replacement of a larger number of old vehicles.

In statements to Razão Automóvel, referring to the subsidy for purchasing new 100% electric light passenger vehicles, which in 2026 amounted to 4,000 euros distributed across only 1,375 incentives, the ACAP general secretary even said, “That amount, which is exhausted in five minutes, should cover 10, 15, or 20 thousand cars.”

The association believes that without broader coverage, the incentives will have limited impact and thus little ability to contribute to renewing the vehicle fleet: “It’s positive that they exist. But they are merely temporary fixes,” admitted Helder Pedro.

Commercial electric vehicles should also receive support

Another change advocated by ACAP is expanding the list of vehicles eligible for these incentives.

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When asked by Razão Automóvel about the possibility of this program including used cars, Helder Pedro suggested that the subsidies should cover at least the electric service or demonstration vehicles available at dealerships.

“It could be applied to the electric demonstration vehicles themselves that are available at dealerships, for example. It’s also a valid option,” said the ACAP general secretary.