EV vs petrol: what does owning a car in Germany really cost?

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Kaufprämie 2026 (new-EV purchase bonus): up to €6,000 towards a new electric car — income-tested and for private buyers only. Requirement: taxable household income up to €80,000 (+ €5,000 per child, max. 2). The maximum applies only in the lowest income band and for a list price under €60,000; in practice the grant is usually lower. Not every buyer qualifies — which is why we show the bonus separately and do not include it in the totals above. Source: ADAC / EAFO, as of 2 July 2026. Check the grant amount yourself before buying.

THG-Prämie (emissions-trading bonus): as the keeper of a pure battery-electric car you can sell your CO₂ quota each year — up to ~€300/year, not guaranteed. The amount falls year on year, and some providers pay €0 if no buyer is found for the quota. Pure EVs only (no plug-in hybrids); the deadline is 15 November each year. We deduct this amount only from the EV's running costs — never from the combustion car's. Source: ADAC, as of 2 July 2026.

Kfz-Steuer (annual vehicle tax): pure electric cars first registered by 31 December 2030 pay €0 vehicle tax for up to 10 years (ending on 31 December 2035 at the latest). This is not a cash grant but a tax avoided: a petrol car pays roughly €100–180/year and a diesel roughly €250–400/year — exactly what the EV saves. Plug-in hybrids are excluded and taxed like combustion cars. Basis: § 3d KraftStG, as of 2 July 2026.

Umweltbonus (expired purchase grant): the old federal purchase subsidy, the “Umweltbonus”, was halted on 17 December 2023 — no new applications have been possible since. If you still read about a grant promising up to €6,750: it no longer exists in that form. Its place was taken in 2026 by the new income-tested Kaufprämie (see above). We list the Umweltbonus here purely for clarity and do not count it.