The relaunch of social leasing is nearing completion: the second edition of the scheme already has 41,500 beneficiaries in one month.

The second edition of the "social leasing" program for electric vehicles for low-income households has been a resounding success: it has 41,500 beneficiaries one month after its launch, and the program remains open until it reaches its target of 50,000 cars, the Ministry of Transport announced Wednesday. The first edition of this lease-to-own program, supported by government assistance, launched in early 2024, ended after six weeks, with more than 50,000 orders confirmed, while the initial target was 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles. Given its success and the significant sums involved, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (Bercy) prematurely ended the program.

This time, the scheme, which began on September 30, was designed from the outset to finance 50,000 electric cars, including 5,000 reserved for people living or working in low-emission zones (LEZs). Of the "more than 41,500 vehicles" leased to date, "more than 11,360" have been leased by beneficiaries who live or work in these zones, according to the Ministry of Transport.

The offers proposed under this social leasing program "are significantly lower than market prices, ranging from €100 to €200 per month, and some cannot exceed €140 per month," the ministry noted. It reiterated that "no options, accessories, or additional services can be imposed" on potential customers. Once the 50,000-application mark is reached, "a waiting list will be created to allow dealerships to register orders," and "this list will be updated as cancellations or invalid applications are received," the ministry explained.

In total, the scheme has a budget of approximately €370 million, which, like the ecological bonus , is financed by energy savings certificates (CEE), based on the polluter-pays principle targeting energy suppliers. Specifically, any applicant, of legal age and residing in France, must have a reference tax income of €16,300 per share or less (it was €15,400 in 2024) and commute by car more than 15 km from their home or drive more than 8,000 km per year in their personal vehicle for work purposes.