How long the EV grant runs
The grant is planned over several years, but not equally long for every drive type, and it depends on available funds. What is fixed, what is announced and what remains open.
Worked through by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
How much time is left to register?
Months for a battery electric car
37
| Months for a plug-in hybrid | 7 |
| Guideline valid until | December 2029 |
The grant is subject to available funds; it may end earlier.
The funding guideline for electric cars applies from 19 May 2026 to 31 December 2029. Battery electric and fuel cell cars are funded if first registered in Germany between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2029. For plug-in hybrids and range extenders the window already closes on 30 June 2027. For the period after that, BAFA says the federal government is examining funding for these vehicles based on real-world CO2 emissions; this is announced, not decided. There is no legal entitlement to the grant. It is paid from the Climate and Transformation Fund (Klima- und Transformationsfonds) while money lasts and can end early. By 1 October 2026, BAFA had approved 97,790 applications and paid out 432 million euros, an average of about 724 approvals a day since the start. Planning in October 2026, you have 38 months left for a battery electric car and 8 for a plug-in hybrid.
The dates at a glance
| Milestone | Date | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest first registration | 1 January 2026 | also before the portal opened |
| Guideline in force, portal open | 19 May 2026 | applications possible |
| Plug-in hybrids: last first registration | 30 June 2027 | afterwards only an announced review |
| Battery electric: last first registration | 31 December 2029 | end of the window |
| Guideline valid until | 31 December 2029 | end of the guideline |
The funding guideline is a programme of the Federal Environment Ministry; BAFA runs it. The federal government announced the start in May 2026, and the portal has been open since.
Which registration still fits
| First registration | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 November 2026 | yes | yes | 1 November 2027 |
| 30 June 2027 | yes | yes | 30 June 2028 |
| 1 July 2027 | yes | no | 1 July 2028 |
| 1 June 2028 | yes | no | 1 June 2029 |
| 31 December 2029 | yes | no | 31 December 2030 |
| 1 January 2030 | no | no | n/a |
The last row shows a question BAFA has not yet answered: if you register a battery electric car on the last day, the application deadline would give you until the end of 2030, but the guideline itself only runs to the end of 2029. Whether applications are accepted after that is open. If you register in autumn 2029, apply in the same year to be safe.
2027: what is fixed and what is announced
For battery electric cars nothing changes in 2027 under the current guideline: same amounts, same income limits, same child rules. For plug-in hybrids and range extenders the window closes on 30 June 2027. BAFA writes that the federal government is examining funding for the period after that based on real-world CO2 emissions, to encourage as much electric driving as possible. That is an announced review. There are no amounts, conditions or dates. Any figures circulating for beyond 2027 are either guesses or announcements without legal force.
A possible rule on where cars are built is also announced but without effect. The European Commission is working on an “Industrial Accelerator Act” that could include preferences for European production. BAFA stresses that the drafts do not affect eligibility today and that it would give notice before any change.
No legal entitlement, a finite budget
The grant is a payment without legal entitlement. It comes from the Climate and Transformation Fund and depends on available money. That means two things: an application meeting all conditions is approved while money is there, and the programme can end earlier than planned if funds run out or the budget is cut. Earlier programmes have seen such funding stops; none has been announced for this one.
BAFA’s statistics show how fast money is flowing. By 1 October 2026, 97,790 applications had been approved, about 724 a day over the 135 days since the start. 432 million euros had been paid, or €4,418 per approval on paper; because approved applications are not paid at once, that is a lower bound for the average. How approvals break down is under approval statistics.
What earlier programmes teach
The 2026 purchase grant is not the first of its kind. The previous environmental bonus (Umweltbonus), which ran until the end of 2023, ended at short notice after a budget decision, earlier than many buyers expected. Anyone whose ordered car was registered after the cut-off got nothing. That is no forecast for today’s programme, but a caution: a grant that depends on the budget is not a fixed part of a price until the grant notice has arrived. How applications already received but not yet approved would be treated in a stop would have to be set by the stop decision itself.
Three plans
Battery electric, delivery early 2027. A couple orders in autumn 2026 with registration promised for February 2027. Under the guideline that is fine: the window runs to the end of 2029 and the amounts stay the same. The remaining risk is an early end to the programme, which nobody controls.
Plug-in hybrid, delivery in June 2027. A commuter orders a hybrid with a long delivery time. If registration slips to July, the grant disappears entirely on current rules. A delivery date promised in writing and a few weeks’ buffer are worth more here than a discount.
Battery electric, registered in December 2029. A family buys just before the end. It applies in December, because it is open whether BAFA will still accept applications in 2030.
What this means for planning
- Plug-in hybrid: registration by 30 June 2027 is the hard limit. Delivery times and registration appointments belong in the plan; more under plug-in hybrid grant.
- Battery electric: time until the end of 2029, but no guarantee the money lasts that long.
- Application: apply soon after registration and completely, because BAFA works in order of arrival; the steps are under how to apply.
- End of 2029: apply in the year of registration while it is open whether 2030 applications are accepted.
What could change and what will not
For households that already have a grant notice, a later stop or a new guideline changes nothing about the approved grant; the notice’s conditions apply, above all the holding period. For everyone else, amounts, limits or deadlines could change with a new guideline, in either direction. What is only being discussed, such as a rule on origin or a new hybrid scheme, applies only once published.
How this site handles changes
The calculator only uses the values of the published guideline. Announcements, drafts or reports of possible changes are not included until they appear in the Federal Gazette or BAFA publishes them. If a figure changes, it is adopted with date and source. The small calculator above shows how many months remain from a chosen point to register the car.