Established on January 1 to facilitate access to the rental of electric vehicles for the most modest households, social leasing has been a huge success which the government had to put an end to quite suddenly. Find all the practical information about this new device.
A real hit. The first edition of social leasing, officially launched on January 1, proved to be a great success. This long-term rental of “cars at 100 euros per month” intended for the most modest households – those whose reference tax income per share is less than 15,400 euros per year – has attracted many French people to the point that the number of electric vehicles made available has more than doubled, going from 20 to 25,000 initially to 50,000! This tidal wave pushed the government to abruptly call the end of the game on February 12, that is to say after only six weeks, to avoid economic drift. And for good reason, for each vehicle rented under the system, the State paid the tidy sum of 13,000 euros. Faced with the success of this social leasing, the government has already announced its return in 2025. Here is everything you need to know about the system.
The offer is a leasing, i.e. rental of the vehicle with a fixed amount to be paid each month. To define who can benefit from social leasing, the government has defined several criteria. To be eligible, you must already be domiciled in France. The tax household must have a tax income per unit of less than 15,400 euros. You must justify the use of your vehicle to go to your place of work and that it is at least 15 kilometers from your home. Finally, this system is reserved for workers who drive more than 8,000 kilometers per year by car as part of their professional activity. Please note that in a household, if both adults meet the eligibility criteria, each can apply for social leasing.
Around ten car models, mainly French or European, were initially offered for social leasing. Prices were on average 100 euros per month but varied depending on the model, some costing around forty euros – like the Twingo E-Tech – while others, a little more upscale and family, went up to 150 euros per month. It is important to remember that these prices do not include insurance or maintenance costs. The government had also clarified that leasing at 100 euros per month would not be subject to the payment of an initial contribution via a significantly increased first rent as current LOA or LLD contracts do.
This first rent is covered by the State. The customer can choose to benefit from a rental with purchase option allowing them to acquire the vehicle at the end of the rental period, or not. Some manufacturers very quickly communicated on the models allocated to the device. The Renault Twingo E-Tech and Megane E-Tech, the Peugeot e-208 and e-2008, the Citroën ë-C3 and ë-C4, the Fiat 500, the electric Opel Corsa and Mokka and the Jeep Avenger were the first models car to be included in the catalog. Other brands followed, such as Volkswagen or Hyundai.
It was the President of the Republic himself who, via a video broadcast on social networks, indicated the name of the site on which beneficiaries of social leasing were able to order a car. All the details of the system were indicated on the platform mon-leasing-electrique.gouv.fr opened on December 14, 2023. It will likely be reactivated at the end of 2024 (in December?) since the government has already announced the renewal of the system in 2025. Households eligible for social leasing can order a car on the sites of rental companies approved by the State.
