The 6,000 Euro Offer

N-TV (the German commercial news network) came up today with a business article, and chatted on the 6,000 Euro 'gift' to the German public.....if you were to go out and buy an E-car.

The deal is...after 19 November 2019, if you buy an E-car, you get 6,000 Euro as a 'gift' from the government....to lessen the cost of the car.  It's an encouragement to buy electrical cars.  The other catch is that it has to be more than 40,000 Euro (there are very few which go for less than 40k Euro).

Why the 'gift'?  Well, they (the government) seem to have a goal of a minimum of 7-million E-cars by 2030, the year that gas and diesel cars will cease to be sold as new vehicles.  Presently, if you pull up the trend lines.....without the incentive, I'd seriously doubt that they even reach 2-million E-cars by 2030. 

Part of this bigger issue is that Opel, BMW, VW, Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes have all flipped billions into developing the technology, and they kinda need the E-car business to finally take off, and pay them back.  The government feels kinda obligated to push people along to buy the E-cars.

Would 6,000 Euro make a difference?  I test-drove the Etron (Audi's E-car SUV).  After about 70 minutes....I'd make three observations over the vehicle:

1.  It did surprise with acceleration (probably faster than a gas vehicle.

2.  Very high quality into every part of the interior. 

3.  Near the end of the 70-minute drive, I kinda reviewed the 'juice' left (starting with about 90-percent) and I'd used up 25-percent during the trip.  I felt like I'd be preoccupied with 'juice-monitoring' if I went to buy the car. 

My decision against the Etron?  It came down to two central problems....long-distance travel around Germany (I did feel safe with local driving) and being able to find recharging points (I don't have patience to sit for six hours, waiting on a charge).  The second issue.....I expect the batteries to have some replacement cycle involved, and kinda wonder about the disposal cost, and the new battery cost.  The sales guy couldn't really say much.

If you'd said the disposal cost was 500 Euro, and the new battery set (installed) was 1,500 Euro (every five years)....then it'd be all fine with me.  There's been news updates in the past six months where the battery cost continue to go downward, and I suspect in three years that it'd be fairly reasonable. 

As for the hydrogen car development?  Well, it continues on, and I'm more likely to believe in that being the future 'answer'. 

If I were a German, and positive over the E-car stuff?  Maybe the 6,000 Euro would entice me.  As for the Etron price?  It's in the 65,000 Euro range...so with the 6,000 Euro off....roughly 58,000 Euro.  Still hefty, but maybe worth the deal.