Social leasing 2026: everything you need to know

A brand-new electric car for the price of a slightly generous phone plan. That is the promise of social leasing, whose third edition opened on 16 July 2026. The goal: 50,000 households, monthly payments capped at €200, and government aid that can climb to €9,500. But places go fast, and the conditions have changed. Here is what you need to know, and above all what you need to prepare.

How social leasing works

The idea in three lines

The government funds part of your monthly payments, and the aid is paid directly to the dealership, which deducts it from the amount you pay. You put no money down: no deposit, no security, no administration fee. You lease the car for at least three years, then either hand it back or buy it at its residual value.

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It is a long-term lease, either LLD or LOA. The included mileage is at least 15,000 km per year with no extra charge, which comfortably covers a typical home-to-work commute.

A third edition funded by the CEE

The scheme has existed since January 2024. Its first edition was a victim of its own success: 50,000 applications accepted where the government had planned for 20,000 to 25,000, and a window that closed in under six weeks. Same story in 2025 with another 50,000 households. In total, 100,000 households have already benefited from the scheme.

For 2026, the budget reaches €401 million for a minimum of 50,000 households. A structural change: funding now comes through energy savings certificates (CEE), which does not weigh directly on the government budget and secures the scheme's continuity through to 2031.

Are you eligible?

The three conditions to meet

Source: *economie.gouv.fr*, June 2026. The scheme covers mainland France, the overseas departments and regions (DROM) and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.

On income, one detail that matters: the tax notice used is the 2025 one, covering 2024 income. And the calculation is done per tax share. A couple with one child, meaning 2.5 shares, declaring €42,000 of reference tax income, gets €16,800 per share. They just qualify.

On mobility, the two conditions are alternatives: meeting one is enough. The home-to-work commute must be made with your personal vehicle, which excludes any portion done by public transport or car-sharing.

The two exclusions to know about

First, if you already benefited from social leasing in 2024 or 2025, you cannot apply this year. The scheme is designed to reach new households.

Second, social leasing cannot be combined with the electric passenger vehicle bonus (prime coup de pouce). Both schemes fall under the CEE: you have to choose. To compare, our article on the cheapest electric cars breaks down the bonus scale, which ranges from €3,500 to €5,700 depending on your income.

What it really costs

Aid adjusted to the vehicle's origin

This is the 2026 novelty: the amount of aid depends on where the vehicle is built. It comes to 29% of the acquisition cost, capped at €6,500. That cap rises to €9,500 when the vehicle, battery and motor are produced in Europe. A mechanism that targets both the environmental transition and European production.

Two safeguards frame the payments. The absolute cap is €200 per month including tax, and each lessor must offer at least a quarter of its deals under €140 per month. The vehicle must also cost less than €47,000 including tax.

The payments announced by manufacturers

Payments communicated by the manufacturers, excluding options and insurance. Fourteen brands and around thirty models take part in the scheme. The official list is consolidated on the ADEME website.

One point not to overlook in your budget: the payment does not include insurance, which remains your responsibility and which you take out freely. Optional services, a maintenance contract or a mileage extension, also come on top.

How to do it, step by step

First test your eligibility

It all starts with the official simulator from the Agence de services et de paiement (ASP), available at primealaconversion.gouv.fr. Have your 13-digit tax number ready, at the top of your tax notice. The system queries the tax administration directly and issues you a certificate.

Then go through a dealership

It is the dealer who puts together the entire file: you have no administrative steps to take yourself. They must be approved and enrolled with the ASP. You choose your model from the ADEME list, you sign, and you then have 14 days to withdraw.

The documents to prepare right now

Your 2025 tax notice, proof of address, and proof of your mobility condition: an employer's certificate for the home-to-work commute, or a sworn statement plus proof of affiliation to a social security scheme for the self-employed. Having them on hand saves precious time.

What to anticipate

Places go fast, very fast

This is the most important point in this article. In 2024, the window closed in under six weeks, with double the applications initially planned. The quota is capped at 50,000 households, and reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to vehicle availability. In other words: prepare your file before choosing your model, not the other way around.

Your protections if things go wrong

The specifications impose several guarantees on lessors, and they are worth knowing. You can cancel free of charge in the event of death, disability, job loss or force majeure. If you run into payment difficulties, you can request a full or partial deferral of your monthly payments for up to three months, free of charge.

Your commitments in return: not to sublet the vehicle, not to cancel before three years, and to respond to any ASP checks.

And if you are not eligible?

The part aimed at high-mileage professionals, home care workers, self-employed nurses, tradespeople or delivery drivers, was mentioned by the government but its terms had not yet been published at the time of writing. If you exceed the income caps, the bonus (prime coup de pouce) remains available, up to €5,700 depending on your RFR, and can be combined with a European battery top-up bonus.

The real calculation: payment plus charging

What usage costs

A payment of €94 per month is one thing. The real budget is another, and the good news is that it leans the right way. Over 15,000 km per year, an electric city car uses around 2,250 kWh. Charged at home during off-peak hours, that comes to barely €30 per month. On petrol, the same distance would cost €142 a month. Our article on the cost of charging breaks down every scenario.

If you cannot charge at home, the calculation stays favourable. At our fast-charging stations, the price is displayed before each session and locked until the end, and the Electra+ subscription pays for itself from the very first charge of the month.

Frequently asked questions about social leasing

"Am I eligible or not?"

Three conditions: be of legal age and resident in France, have a reference tax income per share of €16,880 or less, and meet one of the two mobility criteria, meaning either more than 10 km of home-to-work commute with your personal vehicle, or more than 8,000 km per year for professional use. The official simulator answers you in a few minutes.

"How much will I pay in total?"

The payment is capped at €200 per month including tax, and a quarter of the deals drop below €140. The cheapest announced is the Citroën ë-C3 at €94. On top of that comes only insurance, which is mandatory and which you choose freely. No deposit, no security, no administration fee.

"Can I keep the car at the end?"

Yes, if your contract is an LOA: you then buy it at its residual value. With an LLD, you hand it back. In both cases, the minimum term is three years, and you cannot cancel before then, except for a serious life event.

"How long before it is full?"

Impossible to predict, but the precedent speaks for itself: in 2024, the window closed in under six weeks, with 50,000 applications accepted where the government expected half that. The 2026 quota is also 50,000. Prepare your file now.

"Which cars are covered?"

Around thirty models across fourteen brands, all 100% electric, new, priced under €47,000 including tax and with a sufficient environmental score. The official list is consolidated on the ADEME website. Used vehicles and retrofits are excluded.

"Can I combine it with the bonus?"

No. Social leasing and the electric passenger vehicle bonus (prime coup de pouce) both fall under energy savings certificates and cannot be combined. If you are eligible for social leasing, it is generally more advantageous, but it concerns a lease, not a purchase.

Your car is coming, what about charging?

Once the contract is signed, the next question comes quickly: where to charge. At home when possible, and on the public network the rest of the time. Our fast-charging points cover major routes and retail areas, with transparent pricing displayed before each session. Charge at the station, pay as you would at home.

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Written by Pierre, electric mobility expert at Electra