Tesla and the Environmental Bonus Excluding Options

Above 47,000 euros, no Eco Bonus. The law is strict, but it’s the law, and you just need to know how to read it!

Let’s try today to understand how it might be possible to benefit a car costing more than 47,000 euros from the Eco Bonus. A quick visit to the French Tesla website is enough to see the trick. Let’s take a base white Tesla Model 3 Propulsion at 42,990 euros. No problem, we’re below the threshold and the Bonus is properly applied when paying, resulting in a final price of 37,990 euros.

Now, let’s decide to add a shiny Ultra Red paint for 2,000 euros, a beautiful white interior with the red paint for 1,190 euros, and the upgraded Autopilot at 3,800 euros, without which a Tesla isn’t quite a Tesla. The quote rises to 49,980 euros and our lovely Tesla no longer seems eligible for the Bonus… that’s really unfortunate! But at the checkout, surprise!!! We are asked for 44,980 euros after deducting the 5,000 euros ecological bonus! How is this trick possible?

Tesla has simply applied the Bonus to the base price of the car, without considering the options. Nothing in the regulation specifying the rules for awarding the bonus states that options are included in the sales price. If it’s not prohibited, it is, in fact, permitted to deduct the value of options from the selling price to determine eligibility for this valued bonus.

What if we go further and imagine a very high-end car priced at 46,990 euros, but without air conditioning, no screen, no ambient lighting, and with barely acceptable seats? No problem, we add all that as options to reach the desired Premium model while still benefiting from the Ecological Bonus. To be continued.

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