The car industry is now warning that sales of rechargeable cars, electric cars and plug-in hybrids will be negatively affected by the government’s policy. This includes changing the taxation for company cars.
Bil Sweden CEO Mattias Bergman tells Ekot that the green transition can slow down after the turn of the year.
– We see a great risk that this positive trend will decline. We believe that these measures will lead to a smaller reduction in emissions, he says.
Car Sweden thinks that sales of rechargeable cars – electric cars and plug-in hybrids – will be negatively affected. The previous forecast was that about 40 percent of all newly registered cars next year would be rechargeable. That is about ten percentage points more than this year.
But now that number will not be so high, says Mattias Bergman.
– It will not stop at zero, but it will be a lower rate of increase than before, he says to Ekot.
Several investments in the government and the co-operation parties’ budgets are good, according to the organization. For example, investments in charging infrastructure. But several parts of the budget and even a proposal outside receive criticism.
This applies, for example, to the plan that the taxation of company cars (company cars) will be changed in several ways, which may, among other things, lead to it becoming more expensive to have a rechargeable one.
Criticism is also directed at getting less bonus money in the future if you buy a plug-in hybrid and the proposal that whoever buys a car with low emissions, and gets a bonus for it, will be liable for a refund if the car is exported abroad within five years.
– There is no first owner who owns the car for five years, says Bergman.
But the Green Party’s mouthpiece and Minister of Financial Markets Per Bolund does not believe that sales will be negatively affected and he mentions, for example, the changed tax rules for vans then.
– No, I think that is a fairly small risk. The great effect of this proposal is that we no longer provide tax support to those who buy a conventional benefit car, one that runs on petrol or diesel, he tells Ekot.
At the same time, are you removing this temporary reduction for, for example, electric cars that have existed before?
– It has been a temporary reduction. The electric car market has developed enormously and there have been many new models, which have a much lower price. This means that we have chosen to instead use the bonus-malus system, which provides a very clear subsidy and support to those who buy an electric car, and then we do not see that we need this extra support as well, says Per Bolund to Ekot .
He says that the government is instead making several investments to increase sales.
– Through the bonus-malus system, Sweden is now at the forefront of the EU in terms of how many cars are sold that are electric cars or plug-in hybrids. Now we will strengthen that system further so you get a bigger bonus if you choose an electric car, he says to Ekot.
Regarding criticism of the proposal for a repayment obligation when exporting bonus cars, the government will now go through the consultation responses that come in.
– This is an issue that we will of course analyze when now the comments on this proposal come in, says Bolund (MP) to Ekot.
Bil Sweden is now analyzing exactly how much effect the government’s proposal can have on sales, according to the organization.
Source: ICELAND NEWS