Canceled climate bonus divides the Swedes

Half are negative, only one in four are positive and a third have neither opinion nor opinion on the issue. Yes, Swedes are divided to say the least after the government scrapped the climate bonus for new electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

Abolishing the bonus of up to 70,000 kronor was one of the first decisions the new government hammered through. It was motivated by the fact that the cost of owning and driving these cars is now starting to become comparable to petrol and diesel cars. But Swedes are divided over the decision.

Almost half of Swedes (45%) believe that the climate bonus should have remained, while almost one in four (23%) think that it was the right decision to remove it. At the same time, a full 33 percent say that they are neutral or simply cannot decide. This can be interpreted as many people finding the issue difficult.

The wallet controls the opinion

Income differences affect opinion, and those with a larger wallet seem to be more critical of the decision. A full 55 percent of those earning SEK 55,000 or more think that scrapping the climate bonus was a bad decision. At the same time, only 32 percent in the income range of SEK 20,000-24,999 say they have the same negative attitude.

- There are two camps here. We have those who see the bonus as an important piece of the puzzle for the automotive industry to continue to change and accelerate the journey towards a fossil-free Sweden, then we have those who think that the bonus has served as a contribution to wealthy consumers, says Daniel Odsberg, sales manager Kvdbil.

New electric cars no longer as hot

Interest in buying or leasing a new electric car has been negatively affected by the abolition of the climate bonus. This was probably not something the politicians hoped for. Today, only one in four (28%) shows the same level of interest as when the bonus was still in place. On the other hand, buying a used electric car, or a traditional petrol or diesel car, is attracting more people. Interest has increased by 6% for both of these purchases.

- I can't say I'm surprised. The bonus has been an important incentive for many and now are also tough times. In order for the growth of new electric cars not to slow down, or even stall, the industry will have to face the new reality of consumers. When Tesla lowered prices sharply a few weeks ago, a shock wave went through the car industry. It's only a matter of time before we see the same move from competitors. Many will probably also change production and focus on cheaper models, says Daniel Odsberg.

Question: What do you think about the climate bonus being removed?

About the survey

The survey was conducted in Kantar Sifo's web panel during the period 12–16 January 2022. A total of 1447 people aged 18–79 were interviewed, of which 1020 people had access to a car. The web panel is nationally representative and recruited based on random selection. There is no self-recruitment in Kantar Sifo's web panel.