Photo: © Isabel Mayer
HWK Trier | September 2026
Summer Festival of Crafts: Hope needs action
Taking action instead of waiting: With this message, the summer festival of crafts on September 4th at Campus Handwerk sent a clear signal.
The new electric mobility law also includes heavy commercial vehicles and buses for the first time. (Photo: © JuanPabloGonzales/123RF.com)
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August 2026
Instead of letting them expire, the German government is extending the benefits for electric vehicles and even creating new ones. Commercial vehicles are also included for the first time.
The German Electric Mobility Act (EmoG) was originally scheduled to expire at the end of 2026. Instead, the federal government has extended and expanded it. The cabinet approved an amendment on July 29, 2026. Owners of electric cars will receive additional benefits, and for the first time, heavy commercial vehicles and buses are also included. The investment boost for company electric vehicles is particularly interesting for businesses .
The German Electric Mobility Act (EmoG) will be extended and parts of it will remain in effect indefinitely. This will ensure that electric vehicles continue to receive special privileges on the road . The German government justifies the amendment with climate targets in the transport sector and improved air quality in cities. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, the number of newly registered electric passenger cars in the first half of 2026 was 48 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year. The government emphasizes that for the continued market growth, it is crucial that the legal framework for electric vehicles remains reliable in the long term.
Previously, the law primarily applied to passenger cars. Now, with the amendment, heavy commercial vehicles and buses are also included. This means that freight forwarding companies and municipal transport operators will also benefit from the advantages of switching to electric drives. The definition of eligible vehicles remains essentially the same: Pure battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, vehicles with range extenders, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles continue to be covered by the law.
These traffic rules are accompanied by tax advantages , including:
Another important point: Municipalities can continue to prioritize electric vehicles. The law allows them to designate dedicated parking spaces at charging stations , offer discounted or free parking, and permit the use of designated bus lanes . Municipalities can decide for themselves on the type and extent of these benefits.
A new option is to allow owners of electric vehicles to park for free in resident parking permits . This measure is intended to create additional incentives to buy electric vehicles, particularly in metropolitan areas where private parking spaces are scarce and resident parking permits are expensive.
Sources: German Federal Government; beck-aktuell.de
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