Electric or petrol car: what does it really cost to own in Spain?

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Plan MOVES III (Spain's EV purchase grant): up to €7,000 towards a new electric car if you scrap an old vehicle (up to €4,500 without scrappage), as long as the pre-VAT price doesn't exceed €45,000. It's administered by the comunidades autónomas (regional governments), so deadlines, available budget and paperwork vary by where you live — and it's usually taxed as income (IRPF) the following year. Not every buyer receives it, nor the maximum amount, so we show it separately and do not deduct it from the total cost shown above. Source: IDAE / the Plan MOVES III Real Decreto (royal decree), as of 1 July 2026. Confirm the amount and the remaining budget in your region before you buy.

Road tax (IVTM): not a cash grant, but a tax you don't pay. Many town halls give electric cars discounts of up to 75% on the municipal vehicle tax, for several years and under each municipality's own by-law. A petrol car pays the full amount; an electric one only part of it, or nothing. We deduct this saving only from the electric car's running cost, never from the petrol car's — and since the discount depends on the municipality, we use a cautious estimate. Basis: municipal IVTM by-laws (Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2004), as of 1 July 2026.