Schultz Environment Blog

Environment in a broad sense,transports and energy issues. From my local point of view with a global touch!

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

After the subsidies….
In July there was 14 551 new cars sold in Sweden and that is a decrease by 13, 9 % compared with July in 2008. Out of these sold cars 31, 0 % were so called green cars compared with 32, 6 % in 2008. The bonus of 10 000 SEK that a private person buying a green car, got from the government ended by the end of June and perhaps this explains the dip by 18,9 % of new sold green cars since last month. Probably, quite a few people made the decision to by a green car in June, before the bonus disappeared. It will be interesting to see how the decrease of tax for green cars will attract individuals to buy green cars compared with the bonus of 10 000 SEK. The value of the decrease in taxation isn’t worth that much and you don’t get it in your hand six months after you have purchased a new car like the bonus. New green cars will be free from taxation for five years since 1:th of July 2009. So, the government lowers the carrot for people to by a green car to some extent.