Auto+’s soft EU-content preference shows Spain choosing a gentler protectionism than France’s explicit exclusion of Chinese BEVs.<\/p>\n
vehicle incentive scheme that will run nationwide through the rest of the decade. It replaces the previous system, MOVES III, with a centrally-managed grant system processed through a single online platform, and is funded with a noticeably modest \u20ac400m (US$430m) applied retroactively to purchases made since 1 January.<\/p>\n
The scheme is split into two pillars, one to serve private individuals and another for businesses, the self-employed and leasing arrangements of at least three years. Private buyers can receive up to \u20ac4,500 for a new or nearly-new passenger, rising to \u20ac6,000 for the self-employed and micro-enterprises and as high as \u20ac7,000\u2013\u20ac12,000 for businesses eligible under the Climate Social Fund. Light commercial vehicles, motorcycles and quadricycles are covered under separate funding structures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As is typical of such incentive schemes, battery-electric (BEV) models are weighted more favourably than plug-in hybrids, and additional support goes to cars that are priced below \u20ac35,000 and built in the EU\u2014or at least using at least partly EU-made batteries. However, the fund drops MOVES III\u2019s charging infrastructure support and scrappage bonuses. This may have been a necessity to prioritise funding for the main goal of adoption.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The funds are noticeably modest for a scheme that is expected to run through 2030, particularly given that claims retroactive to the start of 2026 are already accruing. Some estimates by local media have placed the date that the \u20ac400m runs out as early as September.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, the change that matters most is arguably administrative, rather than financial. MOVES III\u2019s core failure was never the size of its subsidy but the 12-to-24-month wait buyers had to endure for reimbursement\u2014a delay that priced out exactly the price-sensitive, mass-market buyers the scheme was meant to reach. Auto+\u2019s centralised processing is designed to cut that wait down to a matter of weeks, addressing the actual bottleneck rather than simply raising the amount of cash on offer.<\/p>\n