French e-bike subsidy 2026: the national bonus is gone — what's really left

Article corrected and verified on 16 October 2026. An earlier version still described a "2026 national bike bonus" and wrong local amounts. The figures below come from official French government and local authority pages; the city-by-city detail is in our guide to aid by metropolitan area.

The French national bike bonus no longer exists

The state bonus vélo (up to €400 for an e-bike, more for a cargo or adapted bike) and the bike scrappage premium (prime à la conversion vélo) were abolished on 14 February 2025, under decree no. 2024-1084 of 29 November 2024. Only bikes ordered before 1 December 2024 and invoiced by 14 February 2025 still qualified. The official Service-Public page confirms it.

In practice:

• there is no claim to file with the French state for an e-bike bought in 2026;
• a dealer promising you "€400 from the government" is talking about a scheme that has gone;
• the bonus for electric scooters and motorcycles was abolished by the same decree.

Local aid: it all depends on where you live

The remaining grants are paid by metropolitan authorities, municipalities and sometimes regions. They nearly always depend on your reference taxable income per tax share (revenu fiscal de référence par part, RFR) and often require buying from a bike shop in the area. Maximum amounts for an individual, checked on 16 October 2026:

Details, conditions and how to apply for each city: Paris and Île-de-France, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, and all the others from the overview.

Amounts change often, and some schemes close mid-year when the budget runs out. Check your local authority's official page before you buy.

The sustainable mobility allowance (forfait mobilités durables, FMD)

It is now the only national lever, and the most underrated. If you cycle to work in France:

• Amount: up to €600 a year free of income tax and social contributions in the private sector;
• Stacking: up to €900 a year in total combined with your employer's contribution to a public transport pass;
• Who pays: your employer, if it has introduced the scheme by agreement or unilateral decision (it remains optional);
• Public sector: a separate allowance exists, with its own rates.

Source: official FMD page. If your employer doesn't offer it, ask: €600 a year pays back an entry-level e-bike in two to three years.

Stacking: a realistic worked example

Take a €1,500 e-bike (VAT included) for an employee living in Paris with an RFR per share below €10,000:

With a €600-a-year FMD from the employer, the bike is paid back in just under two years. In Nantes, a household with a very low family quotient can get up to €800 for the same e-bike; in Rennes or Lille, nothing at purchase. Your address matters more than ever.

Common mistakes

• Counting on the government bonus: it has not existed since February 2025.
• Buying before checking the conditions: some schemes required an application before purchase (Grenoble, with a voucher), others a partner shop (Strasbourg) or one located in the area (Lyon, Montpellier).
• Buying online: most metropolitan areas refuse internet purchases and private second-hand sales.
• Missing the deadline: 3 months after the invoice in Strasbourg, 6 months in Marseille-Aix, one year in Bordeaux.
• Selling too soon: many schemes require you to keep the bike for 2 or 3 years.
• Losing the paperwork: the invoice must be in your name, showing make, model, serial number and price including VAT, plus the e-bike's type-approval certificate.

Eligible bikes

• Standard e-bike: assistance limited to 25 km/h, motor of 250 W at most.
• Electric cargo bike: box bike, trike, longtail — often better supported.
• Adapted bike: for people with reduced mobility, with specific caps.
• Speed pedelec: not eligible, it is a moped (see our 25 vs 45 km/h article).

And elsewhere in Europe?

France is not alone in cutting back, but some countries do things very differently (tax breaks on company bikes, national grants — the UK's Cycle to Work scheme, for example). Our comparison of e-bike purchase aid across Europe goes country by country.

Want to know which e-bike to buy within your budget after grants? L'Atelier helps you find the right models for your needs — and if you're selling your old bike to fund the new one, value your bike first.