Everything you need to know about social leasing in 2026

What is social leasing?

Social leasing is a subsidized program created in 2024 by the French government that offers financing for long-term leases of electric vehicles starting at 100€/month. It benefits low-income households that rely on their cars to get to work and encourages the transition to zero-emission vehicles.

What changes have been made compared to the 2025 program?

This year, the program returns with 50,000 vehicles for low-income households and 50,000 vehicles for professionals who drive frequently, such as tradespeople and healthcare workers. The single flat rate of €7,000 has been replaced by a sliding scale ranging from €6,500 to €9,500, depending on the origin of the engine and battery, in order to promote the sale of vehicles manufactured in Europe. Specifically, the more a vehicle meets the criteria, the greater the financial assistance will be: 

This change thus results in a larger budget allocation for the government, amounting to 401 million euros, compared to 369 million euros in 2025.

What are the benefits of this program?

• No upfront cost: You don’t need to save up a large sum of money to purchase a new vehicle!
• Low monthly cost: monthly lease payments are lower than those of a traditional lease
• Access to new electric vehicles
• Contribution to the transition to electric vehicles
• Reduced operating costs: with the Fulli charging card, charge without fees at over 525,000 charging stations across Europe

Income and eligibility requirements to be verified

This program is available to French citizens with an average net monthly income of less than 2,200€, which represents half of all households.

Here are the eligibility criteria:

• Be of legal age, employed, and a resident of France
• Have a reference taxable income of less than 16,300€ (amount for a single person without children)
• Be a permanent employee residing more than 10 km from your workplace
•              OR
• Travel more than 8,000 km per year for work-related purposes for mobile professions (tradespeople, healthcare professionals, etc.)

Two important points to keep in mind:

Please note that a household may enter into only one lease agreement. Additionally, households that benefited from the program in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible to participate again this year.

All electric vehicles with a list price of less than €47,000 and an ADEME eco-score of more than 60 out of 80 points are eligible for social leasing this year.

Among the electric vehicles eligible for this program are:

• Renault 5 E-Tech, Renault 4, Twingo E-Tech, and Mégane E-Tech
• Citroën ë-C3 and ë-C3 Aircross
• Peugeot e-208 and Peugeot e-2008
• Volkswagen ID.3

For example, you can lease the Renault 5 E-Tech starting at €139/month with no down payment, thanks to a €9,500 subsidy.

To view the full list of eligible vehicles, visit the government website by clicking here.

Starting July 16, 2026, you can follow these steps:

• Check your eligibility now by clicking here
• Choose your vehicle from the list of eligible models
• Complete your application at a dealership
• Sign your long-term lease (LLD) or lease-to-own (LOA) contract

You can also submit your application on the government website or through certain leasing providers.

For those who can’t wait, automakers like Renault are launching a pre-order system starting June 16. 

Although social leasing provides a real financial boost, there are still some important points to keep in mind:

• The minimum lease term is 36 months
• The vehicle is returned to the dealership at the end of the contract
• Financial penalties apply in the event of early termination
• A mileage limit must be adhered to

This program remains a genuine opportunity to access electric mobility thanks to the €9,500 financial incentive for a vehicle manufactured in Europe.