Do you have to pay back the ecological bonus when you sell your electric car ? 

To benefit from the ecological bonus you must commit to keep the vehicle for a period of time. The main condition is simple : you must not resell your car the year after your purchase, and you must not have driven less than 6,000 km. 

If you sell your vehicle without this condition, you will be obliged to return the amount of the ecological bonus to the State. The amount must be returned within three months. 

But since April 2022, this law has been tightened : with decree no. 2022-669, you could previously sell your vehicle after seven months, with at least 6,000 km covered. 

The government toughened that law in response to a lot of abuse. Electric car owners sold them very quickly. They sent them to a country where these vehicles were sold more expensive, or less subsidized by the state. Then they bought a new car at the same price, sometimes with profits. 

Further modification on January 1, 2023, the ecological bonus can be paid only once every three years per person. 

Regarding opportunities, if you sell your car within two years of its purchase or rental, you will have to return €1,000 or more within three months of its resale.