Subsidies for electric cars are the kind of government aid that we all pretend not to care about, but in reality we are carefully counting our euros. The new scheme, run by Borzen, brings a nicely rounded logic: the state will support cheaper cars more than ever, while it will slowly wave goodbye to more expensive ones. In other words – if you were thinking of buying a small city electric car, congratulations, you have won the lottery. If you wanted something bigger and more expensive, you have an hour and a half to decide before your money runs out.

What has changed and why does it concern you –

The essence of the new scheme is simple. The state wants to get electric cars under the roof of as many people as possible, so it has moved the highest support to the cheapest models. The new public call allows applications to be submitted from June 18, 2026, but also applies to vehicles purchased since the beginning of the year. For individuals, a guideline is available 9.4 million eurosand for companies 5 million euros.

A clear line needs to be drawn here, as individuals and legal entities now play by slightly different rules. Let's start with private individuals.

Individuals: record 7,800 euros, but only for the smallest

The highest subsidy ever is now reserved for the cheapest. For a new all-electric car priced at up to 25,000 euros (including VAT) a natural person can receive 7,800 euros This is 600 euros more than before and the highest incentive for an electric car in the history of this scheme.

The trick is in the limits. Until now, the highest 7,200 euros belonged to all vehicles up to 35,000 euros, but now this peak has shifted downwards – below 25,000 euros. Cars between 25,000 and 35,000 euros continue to bring 7,200 euros, the one between 35,000 and 45,000 euros well 6,500 euros. For a used electric vehicle that is not older than three years, there is a 3,000 eurosThe 35,000 euro limit thus remains an important threshold – this is where the amount breaks from 7,200 to 6,500 euros.

The beauty of it is in the math. When you subtract €7,800 from a small city electric car that costs around €24,000, you end up with around €16,000. That's no longer the price of an electric toy for tech enthusiasts. That's the price of a first car for a real family – at least on paper.

Over 45,000 euros: the clock is ticking until August 31st

And now the less pleasant part of the story. For individuals, the subsidy for more expensive vehicles expires at the end of the summer. Subsidy 4,500 euros for cars with price between 45,000 and 65,000 euros will only be available for natural persons for applications submitted until and including 31 August 2026. By this date, all conditions must be met - the vehicle must be purchased, registered and ready for submission of the application. After this date, an individual will not receive a single euro for an electric car more expensive than 45,000 euros. There has never been a subsidy for vehicles over 65,000 euros anyway.

And here is the trap that needs to be said out loud. The 45,000 euro limit doesn't cut out some extravagant toys. It cuts out serious European family electric cars – the Volkswagen ID.4, the Skoda Enyaq and the like – which are usually priced right around this number. In other words: precisely those cars that could be the only car in the family are left without support.

Legal entities: an important distinction that most people overlook

For legal entities – companies, sole proprietors and natural persons with an activity – the story is different. There are no major changes here. The highest subsidy remains 7,200 euros for vehicles up to 35,000 euros (excluding the new class of 7,800 euros), 6,500 euros for vehicles up to 45,000 euros and 4,500 euros for vehicles between 45,000 and 65,000 euros. It is possible to claim the incentive for multiple vehicles with one application.

Key point: while an individual loses support for cars over 45,000 euros after August, a company or sole proprietor will in principle keep it. So anyone buying on behalf of a company has less reason to panic. Anyone buying as a private individual has a calendar and an alarm clock.

Comment: social purchase instead of real transition

Now, something that is my personal opinion and I will state it without any hesitation. This scheme seems to me to be a silent promotion of cheap Chinese cars and at the same time a deliberate suppression of sales of more expensive Germans. The most money goes to the smallest and cheapest models, among which there are more and more Chinese ones, while the doors are closed to serious European family vehicles around 45,000 euros.

The logic that the second family car is electric is not the soundest in my opinion. A real electric car is one with a battery around it. 80 kWh, which can completely replace the family car – not just drive one person to work and back. A small electric car is a worse car for a very simple reason: because of the range. Any Volkswagen Polo 1.0 has several times better range and is more useful in everyday use. Personally, I think that a good petrol car is better for the second car in the family, and the primary car should be a serious electric one.

A small electric car is not a gateway. It's an expensive second car with a worse range than any Polo 1.0 has.

So with this scheme we are once again supporting social purchasing, not a real transition. The subsidy becomes a gift for affordability, not a lever that would move people towards a serious electric car as their main vehicle. Of course – a cheap small electric car will put many people on electric for the first time, and among them are decent Europeans like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster. But that doesn’t change the point. The biggest problem is not that small cars are too expensive. The biggest problem is precisely the blockage of serious European models – the ID.4, Enyaq and related family cars, which fall just above the limit and are thus left without an incentive just when the European industry needs it most.

Tesla Model Y: how to avoid the subsidy trap

Now to the car that made all this headlines. Tesla Model Y has been the best-selling electric car in Slovenia and Europe for a long time. And the irony is perfect: with a battery of around 79 kWh, the Model Y is exactly the kind of serious, full-fledged electric car with the range of a single family vehicle – the type of car that would actually drive the transition. But most of its versions sit comfortably above the 45,000 euro mark, in a class that will leave individuals without support after August.

And here Tesla did something it had never done before. For Model Y orders with a price over 45,000 euros ensures delivery no later than 28 August 2026This is the first time Tesla has guaranteed delivery of a vehicle by a specific date. The meaning is simple: anyone who places an order now can pick up the car, register it and submit the application to Borzen before the crucial August 31st deadline – and thus still catch the 4,500 euros, which disappear for private buyers in September.

Otherwise, the Model Y remains a compelling package. Entry-level version Standard costs around 39,990 euros; because it is priced below 45,000 euros, it is entitled to a 6,500 euro subsidy, which brings the price down to approximately 33,490 euros – and for her, the deadline until August is not critical at all. The version with two engines, Long Range All-Wheel Drive, starts at approximately 52,990 euros and this one belongs to the class where every day counts. Tesla guarantees that they will deliver them by August 28, 2026.

The Model Y continues to play in the top league when it comes to technology. The twin-engine version develops around 375 kW (510 hp) and from standstill to 100 km/h it flies in 4.3 to 4.8 seconds, depending on the version, the final speed is 201 km/h (125 mph)The WLTP range is up to approx. 568–600 km (353–373 mi), with a real-world range of around 450 km. Top-notch Performance The version goes one step further: 340 kW (462 hp), acceleration to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds and terminal velocity 250 km/h (155 mph), at a range of around 580 km (360 mi).

The battery in the more powerful versions offers around 79 kWh usable energy. Charging is still one of the strong points: at a fast DC station, the Model Y accepts up to 250 kW (entry Standard up to 225 kW), and at home via an AC charger with 11 kW It charges in about seven to eight hours. The heat pump ensures efficient cabin heating, which helps maintain range in winter. The only serious complaint remains the 400-volt architecture, which in the era of 800-volt competitors is running out of steam in some places – but in everyday use this rarely really hurts.

How to get a subsidy in practice – subsidies for electric vehicles

The procedure is not complicated, but it is merciless towards latecomers. The vehicle must be purchased from a registered dealer, registered for the first time in Slovenia, and the application must be submitted exclusively via the Borzen online application. Applications can be submitted from June 18, 2026, including for vehicles purchased since the beginning of the year. The funds are paid out within approximately 60 days after the decision becomes final, and you must keep the received car for at least three years, otherwise you will return the subsidy. And once again, because it is worth repeating: for private individuals - natural persons, the clock is ticking until August 31 for vehicles over 45,000 euros.

Conclusion: it really pays to rush this time, even if the logic is flawed

Let's be honest - the Model Y is no longer the youngest car on the road, and it's not the cheapest. Its 400-volt technology is slowly showing its age, its door handles have made a few headlines, and its minimalist interior isn't for everyone. But as a whole - the balance of space, efficiency, range, charging network, and everyday usability - it remains one of the most well-rounded electric packages you can buy. And the move to guarantee delivery by August 28th is, hands down, a smart response to the government's rule changes.

For a private buyer aiming for an electric car over 45,000 euros, the bill is brutally simple. Order now and pocket 4,500 euros, or wait and pay it yourself. In September, there will be no more excuses, just a higher amount on the contract.

And yet, a bitter taste remains. Despite the cuts, the Slovenian scheme remains among the most generous in Europe, but it directs money towards the smallest cars, which for many families are not a real transition, but just a second car with a worse range. It sends serious electric family cars around 45,000 euros - precisely those that could be the only vehicle in a household - to a dead end. We are encouraging social purchasing, not real transition. The fact that the biggest winner in this mess is Tesla, the only one to offer a concrete date and thus a concrete reason for buying, says everything you need to know about who knows how to exploit the rules of the game - and who writes them a little by heart.

Electric vehicle subsidies 2026: individuals vs. legal entities

Vehicle price range (including VAT)	Natural persons (lot A)	Legal entities (lot B)
New, up to €25,000	7.800 € — new class	7.200 €
New, €25,000–35,000	7.200 €	7.200 €
New, €35,000–45,000	6.500 €	6.500 €
New, €45,000–65,000	€4,500 — only until 31. 8. 2026, then discontinued	€4,500 — remains
New, over €65,000	no subsidy	no subsidy
Used (up to 36 months), up to €45,000	3.000 €	3.000 €

Key differences: The €7,800 class applies only to natural persons. For natural persons, support for vehicles over €45,000 is being discontinued – applications can only be submitted until 31 August 2026 – but remains for legal entities. The upper limit for the value of the vehicle for the subsidy is €65,000. Applications are submitted from 18 June 2026 via the Borzen online application and are also valid for vehicles purchased from 1 January 2026.

Source: Borzen, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy.