Subsidy for buying electric cars used up within a week

The 10 million euros the government set aside for subsidies to prompt citizens to buy new electric cars was completely claimed within eight days, the Netherlands' enterprise agency RVO announced on Thursday. There is still some money available in the subsidy pot for secondhand electric cars, NRC reports.

The government hoped that these subsidies would stimulate the transition to electric driving and thereby reduce CO2 emissions. Applications for the subsidies opened on July 1. For a new electric car, Netherlands residents could apply for 4 thousand euros in subsidy. For a used electric car, Dutch could get 2 thousand euros in subsidy.

On the first day that applications opened, almost half of the 10 million euros in subsidies for new electric cars had been applied for. The entire amount was gone within the first week. Netherlands residents can still apply for this subsidy, but their application will be moved to next year.

The government made 7.2 million euros available for subsidies for secondhand electric cars. So far, 1.4 million euros of that amount have been applied for.