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Electric car 2026: weight penalty, end of charging station tax credit and company quotas
9 dic 2025
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Electric car 2026: what changes with the new laws
On December 31, 2025, the €500 tax credit for installing a charging station disappears permanently. This deadline marks the beginning of a series of major changes for electromobility in France. If you're still hesitating to install your charging solution, time is running out. Beyond this cutoff date, the entire automotive tax system shifts in 2026, with direct impacts on your budget and mobility choices.
The 2026 Finance Law, adopted in its latest version on November 17, 2025, rethinks the electric transition strategy. The heaviest electric vehicles will have to pay the weight penalty, companies face strict quotas under penalty of hefty fines, and even the TVS increases for everyone. Faced with these numerous changes, one question arises: is electric still the right choice in 2026? (Spoiler: yes!).
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Important dates to remember
Date | Change | Financial impact | Who is concerned? |
|---|---|---|---|
12/31/2025 | End of charging station tax credit | -€500 aid | All individuals |
01/01/2026 | CEE grant confirmed | €3,100-4,200 (+€1,000 if EU) | EV buyers <€47,000 |
01/01/2026 | Weight penalty at 1,500 kg | €10-30/kg | All vehicles >1.5t |
01/01/2026 | CO2 penalty from 108 g/km | Up to €80,000 | Combustion vehicles |
01/01/2026 | TAI companies: 18% electric | €4,000/missing vehicle | Fleets >100 vehicles |
07/01/2026 | Weight penalty on non-ecoscored electrics | Variable by weight | Electric >2.1t |
01/01/2027 | End of micro-hybrid allowance | +100kg in calculation | Micro-hybrids |
01/01/2027 | Retroactive used car penalty | Variable | Vehicles exempt at purchase |
The end of the charging station tax credit: absolute urgency
Since 2021, the tax credit allowed recovering €500 on the installation of a home charging station. This aid, capped at 75% of the work amount and limited to one station per dwelling, definitively expires on December 31, 2025. To benefit from it, your invoice must imperatively be dated before this date. Beware of delays: with the end-of-year holidays, installers are overwhelmed and appointments are scarce.
Installing a home charging station remains profitable, even without a tax credit. Let's take a concrete example: charging a 60 kWh battery costs about €12 in off-peak hours at home (€0.20/kWh), compared to €30 at a fast charging station. Over 15,000 km per year, the savings exceed €1,000. The station therefore pays for itself in two to three years, tax credit or not.
For those who cannot install private stations, public charging solutions are multiplying. The Electra network offers tiered rates according to your usage. With the Start subscription, the kWh price drops to €0.39, and even to €0.29 with the Boost offer. The promo code PLUS2 gives you the first month free to test. An alternative that becomes competitive compared to domestic electricity prices that are climbing.
2026 CEE grant: the new ecological bonus is here
Contrary to what we might have feared, the ecological bonus has not disappeared: it has mutated. Since July 1, 2025, the CEE Grant (Energy Saving Certificates), officially called "Boost for electric private vehicles", has taken over. The amounts for 2026 are confirmed: €4,200 for modest households (tax income < €28,933 for a single person) and €3,100 for other households.
The conditions remain strict: 100% new electric vehicle, price below €47,000, mass below 2.4 tons, and environmental score of at least 60 points. This score, calculated by ADEME, takes into account the carbon footprint from production to use. The list of eligible models is regularly updated on ADEME's website.
Additional €1,000 bonus for Made in Europe. Since October 2025, vehicles assembled in the European Economic Area with a battery also produced in Europe benefit from an additional grant. A Renault Mégane E-Tech manufactured in Douai can thus accumulate up to €5,200 in aid for a modest household, versus €4,100 for others.
The conversion grant also survives in 2026, with amounts adjusted according to income. The cumulative CEE Grant + conversion grant + regional aids can still exceed €10,000 in some cases. But conditions are tightening and processing times are lengthening.
The weight penalty catches up with the heaviest electric vehicles
Who is really concerned?
The weight penalty, which now starts at 1,500 kg instead of 1,600 kg, spares electric vehicles up to 2,100 kg thanks to a 600 kg allowance. But beware: from July 1, 2026, only "ecoscored" electric vehicles will remain totally exempt. Others will pay the penalty on weight exceeding 2,100 kg.
The eco-score remains vague in its exact criteria. The law text mentions an overall assessment taking into account the vehicle's production, use and recycling. Manufacturers will have to obtain this certification to maintain the total exemption of their models. Without an eco-score, a Peugeot e-3008 of 2,183 kg will pay about €830 in penalty, while a BMW iX xDrive50 of 2,585 kg will exceed €4,000.
The detailed scale that hurts
The 2026 scale applies progressive taxation:
· Between 1,500 and 1,699 kg: €10 per additional kg
· Between 1,700 and 1,799 kg: €15 per kg
· Between 1,800 and 1,899 kg: €20 per kg
· Between 1,900 and 1,999 kg: €25 per kg
· Beyond 2,000 kg: €30 per kg
Plug-in hybrids maintain a 200 kg allowance, but capped at 15% of the vehicle's weight. A plug-in hybrid SUV of 2,200 kg therefore only benefits from 200 kg allowance (and not 330 kg which would represent 15%), bringing it to 2,000 kg for calculation. Micro-hybrids lose their 100 kg allowance from 2027, a strong signal against this technology deemed inefficient.
Companies facing a complex equation
The TAI: quotas under penalty of fines
The Annual Registration Tax imposes on companies with more than 100 vehicles a minimum quota of electric vehicles in their acquisitions: 18% in 2026, 25% in 2027, then 48% in 2030. Each missing vehicle triggers a €4,000 fine. A company that renews 50 vehicles in 2026 must therefore buy 9 electric ones. If it only buys 5, the fine reaches €16,000.
Used electric vehicles count in the quota, a boon for companies on a tight budget. Plug-in hybrids only count for 50%, and only until 2029. Beyond that, only 100% electric and hydrogen will be counted.
TVS: everyone pays more
The Company Vehicle Tax increases for everyone in 2026. Electric vehicles go from €100 to €130 per year. Combustion engines undergo a double increase: the base rate jumps from €500 to €650, then to €950 for the most polluting vehicles. A diesel emitting 150 g/km of CO2 will cost nearly €2,000 per year in TVS, compared to €1,200 in 2025.
Short-term rental companies on the front line
Short-term rental companies face a specific obligation: 15% of their fleet in electric from 2026, then 25% in 2027. This measure directly targets Hertz, Avis, Europcar and other major rental players. Car-sharing platforms remain exempt if they mainly offer short urban trips.
A broader regulatory context
The CO2 penalty further tightens its thresholds. From 108 g/km of CO2 (versus 113 g/km in 2025), buyers of combustion vehicles pay. The scale climbs fast: €1,000 at 125 g/km, €5,000 at 140 g/km, up to €80,000 for supercars exceeding 193 g/km. Even a modern gasoline city car flirts with taxation.
Low Emission Zones remain in legal limbo. The 42 concerned agglomerations were to progressively ban Crit'Air 3, 4 and 5 vehicles. But an amendment voted in May 2025 proposes making these restrictions optional. The Constitutional Council must decide in early 2026. In the meantime, the bans remain theoretically in force, but their application varies by city.
The retroactive penalty on used vehicles, initially planned for 2026, is postponed to 2027. This controversial measure will tax vehicles that escaped the penalty upon their first registration, notably utility vehicles converted to passenger vehicles. The exact amounts and procedures remain to be specified by decree.
Pitfalls to avoid and opportunities to seize
The delivery time trap
Ordering a vehicle at the end of 2025 for delivery in 2026 can be expensive. It's the date of first registration that counts for applying penalties. A combustion SUV ordered in December 2025 but delivered in January 2026 will suffer the new scale. Conversely, taking advantage of available stocks at the end of 2025 allows escaping the 2026 increases.
Changes to watch in 2027-2028
The government attempted to impose a freeze on scales until 2028, but Parliament rejected this proposal on November 17, 2025. Thresholds could therefore tighten further in 2027. Hydrogen vehicles will lose their total exemption in 2028, with a simple 600 kg allowance like electric vehicles. Companies will have to anticipate the progressive rise of the TAI: 25% in 2027, 35% in 2028, up to 48% in 2030.
Weight penalty allowances by powertrain
Vehicle type | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
Micro-hybrid (<30kW) | -100 kg | 0 kg | 0 kg |
Classic hybrid | -100 kg | -100 kg | -100 kg |
Plug-in hybrid | -200 kg* | -200 kg* | -200 kg* |
Ecoscored electric | Exempt | Exempt | Exempt |
Non-ecoscored electric | -600 kg** | -600 kg | -600 kg |
Hydrogen | Exempt | Exempt | -600 kg |
Within the limit of 15% of the vehicle's weight *From July 1, 2026
Electric remains the winner, but the game tightens
Despite these changes, electric retains decisive advantages. No CO2 penalty, weight taxation that remains limited to the heaviest models, and above all unbeatable usage costs. With an electric fill-up three times cheaper than a gasoline fill-up, the annual savings exceed €1,500 for an average driver.
Companies no longer really have a choice. Between mandatory quotas and dissuasive fines, fleet electrification becomes unavoidable. Individuals maintain more freedom, but the cumulative penalties on combustion engines (CO2 + weight) make the economic equation increasingly favorable to electric.
The real change in 2026 is the end of "free" electric. Aids are decreasing, some models are taxed, and the Electra+ subscription becomes strategic to control your charging budget. But faced with a liter of gasoline flirting with €2 and combustion penalties that explode, electric remains the most economical mobility. Provided you choose your model and charging solution well.
FAQ - electric car 2026
Is the charging station tax credit really removed on 12/31/2025? Yes, it disappears permanently on this date with no extension planned. Your installation invoice must imperatively be dated before December 31, 2025 to benefit from it.
What is the amount of the ecological bonus (CEE Grant) in 2026? The CEE Grant amounts to €4,200 for modest households and €3,100 for others. An additional €1,000 bonus is added for vehicles produced in Europe with European battery.
Which electric vehicles are eligible for the CEE Grant? New 100% models are eligible under conditions: price below €47,000, mass below 2.4 tons and environmental score of at least 60 points according to the ADEME list.
Which electric cars will pay the weight penalty in 2026? Models exceeding 2,100 kg without eco-score certification will be taxed from July 1, 2026. Before this date, all electric vehicles remain totally exempt.
Can companies escape electric vehicle quotas? Companies with more than 100 vehicles have no escape and face an automatic €4,000 fine per missing vehicle compared to the mandatory quota.
Does the CO2 penalty apply to electric cars? No, electric and hydrogen vehicles are totally exempt from the CO2 penalty which only concerns powertrains emitting CO2.
Does the conversion grant still exist in 2026? Yes, it is maintained with amounts adjusted according to income and remains cumulative with the CEE Grant to optimize electric purchase aids.
With all these changes, public charging becomes a real budget issue. The Electra network offers stations throughout France, clear rates without surprises and even a subscription for heavy users. The code PLUS2 offers the first month if you want to test.
Written by Nicolas, Electra Electric Mobility Expert
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