Grants for Cars: Electric and Alternative Fuels 2018

The Spanish Government hopes to boost the number of electric cars on the roads with new grants available in 2018. Anyone who is legally resident in Spain is eligible, as well as companies, read on for more details.

The Spanish Government has set aside 20 million euros for grants for the purchase of electric and gas-fuelled cars. The scheme is called Movalt 2018.

Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until 30 June 2018, or earlier if funds are depleted. Grant amounts are based on the type of vehicle and purchaser. Purchasers are divided into 2 groups; Group 1 includes individuals, self employed and local authorities and Group 2 includes private companies.

Who Can Request The Grant?

In order to be eligible you need to be legally resident in Spain and have a NIE number. Self employed people or those with a company in Spain will have to supply additional paperwork to show that they are up-to-date with their fiscal obligations.

Car dealers will arrange all the paperwork and, more importantly, check that funding is still available, in order to get the discount directly upon purchase.

What Type of Vehicles are Included?

Vehicles must be either electric (BEV, PHEV, or REEV), or fuelled by liquid gas or LPG.

What Discount Will I Get?

Grants of between 500€ to 18000€ are available. These amounts will be automatically discounted from the sales price.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

Not all car dealers are taking part in the initiative, so check before buying.

Those that do take part must offer an additional 1000€ discount on cars fuelled by gas or, in the case of electric cars this amount will go towards a charging point.

How to Decide if an Electric Car is Right for You

Even though the Government is offering these grants, Spain is still not ready for electric cars in many towns and cities. However things are changing and if you just tend to move around your local area and can charge the car at home, it might be a good idea to think about buying one.

In order to increase the number of charging stations, car dealers that sell electric cars must agree to install a local charging station (for which grants are available).

The basic questions to ask yourself when considering buying an electric or plug-in hybrid car are:

Do you have access to off-street parking?
Is your daily car usage below 160 km?
Are you thinking of buying a new car anyway?

Recharging will cost approximately 2.50€-3.00€ (depending on your tariff). It’s probably a good idea to consider having a dual-tariff with lower night rates for charging to reduce the cost.

Factor in to the final price of the vehicle any extras such whether you decide to lease or purchase the battery. Take into account that battery prices are decreasing as technology improves so it’s worthwhile considering your options.