Plan Auto+ commits three quarters of budget, leaving just 91 million euros for electric vehicle grants

Spain's Ministry of Industry has just over 90 million euros remaining in Line 1 of its Plan Auto+ scheme, designed to subsidise electric and electrified vehicle purchases. According to official ministry databases accessed mid-October, applicants have requested 258.77 million euros - representing nearly three quarters of the 350-million-euro Line 1 allocation.

Industry sources warn that the current burn rate will see remaining funds exhausted before 31 December 2026. The surge in grant applications coincides with record growth in electrified vehicle registrations, which grew by 53 per cent in September alone.

With the current Plan Auto+ scheme set to expire at the end of the year and no national budget currently approved, government sources acknowledge there is no mechanism to automatically extend the subsidies into early 2027. Industry analysts fear a funding gap between January and mid-summer could disrupt market momentum and stall electric vehicle adoption during the first half of 2027.

Ministry records show 81,701 total applications submitted up to 16 October. Fully electric vehicles dominate demand, accounting for 51,398 applications (62.91 per cent), while plug-in hybrids and other electrified technologies account for the remaining 30,303 requests (37.09 per cent). Passenger cars (M1 category) represent 97 per cent of all grant claims.

The average grant requested stands at 3,167 euros per file - below the maximum 4,500-euro limit available for passenger cars- due to strict eligibility criteria based on vehicle specifications. Based on current averages, the remaining 91.23 million euros could cover roughly 28,800 additional vehicle purchases.

In addition to Line 1 for private buyers, the government recently launched Line 2, providing 50 million euros specifically for self-employed workers and commercial fleets.

Geographically, the Community of Madrid leads the country in grant uptake, accounting for nearly one in four applications (23.86 per cent), followed by Catalonia (16.58 per cent), Andalucía (12.42 per cent), Valencia (11.75 per cent)and Galicia 5.61 per cent). Together, these five regions account for over 70 per cent of all subsidy claims submitted nationwide.