The Danish government and its support parties Enhedslisten and Alternativet have agreed to set aside 450 million kroner for a trial that subsidizes electric car leasing for lower-income drivers outside the big cities from 2028.
According to TV 2, which has seen the agreement text, the scheme would cut the monthly payment on a leased electric car through a state subsidy. The broadcaster reports that the deal was struck between the government and its parliamentary backers, Enhedslisten and Alternativet, and was due to be presented publicly.
The agreement reserves 450 million kroner for a three-year pilot running from 2028 to 2030, per TV 2. The aim is to get drivers who currently own petrol or diesel cars to scrap them and switch to electric. For now the scheme covers leasing only, and the parties have commissioned a review of whether direct purchase subsidies are also possible.
TV 2 adds that the government intends to apply for money from the EU Social Climate Fund, which already supports similar projects in Sweden and France. If that application succeeds, the funding framework would grow beyond the 450 million kroner.
Where the idea came from, and the Swedish and French models
Enhedslisten put forward the proposal for cheaper electric cars for low-income drivers outside the big cities. TV 2 reported in October 2026 that the party’s earlier version was a 50,000 kroner grant for rural low-income households scrapping a fossil-fuel car, covering 50,000 households at a cost of 2.5 billion kroner. NordiskBil noted at the time that this was a political proposal only, and would need a parliamentary majority.
The party drew on schemes abroad that allocate support by social criteria. Sweden introduced a targeted scheme in March called Elbilspremien, giving up to 45,000 kroner to low-income groups in areas with poor public transport, TV 2 reports. DR has described the Swedish model and Enhedslisten’s view that a Danish leasing option could follow it, using the example of a low-income family leasing a car for 1,000 kroner a month.
France has added a commuter subsidy for electric car purchases, with a requirement of at least 12,000 kilometers driven per year. According to TV 2, the French support is paid out over three years and can reach 7,600 euros, around 57,000 kroner.
How the pilot differs from the 2027 registration tax break
Electric car support in Denmark has so far mainly benefited buyers who can afford a new car. The government and the center-right parties agreed to cancel a planned tax increase, so cars priced up to 420,000 kroner stay free of registration tax, TV 2 reports. That arrangement applies to 2027 only and typically means a tax discount of between 10,000 and 60,000 kroner on mid-range models.
The deal with Enhedslisten and Alternativet is instead restricted to residents outside the big cities with lower incomes, and the detailed criteria still have to be negotiated. FDM car economist Ilyas Dogru told TV 2 that many in the low and middle income groups do not have 200,000 to 300,000 kroner available for a new electric car. Mobility Denmark director Mads Rørvig said the deal should be seen alongside the government expert committee report on car taxation, which is due soon.
What the EV leasing pilot means for foreign residents outside the big cities
Cars in Denmark carry a registration tax, the registreringsafgift, which is why the 2027 arrangement is framed as a price ceiling of 420,000 kroner rather than a cash grant. Leasing is widespread here partly because the tax is paid differently on leased vehicles, and the total cost of owning a car depends heavily on those rules.
For internationals living outside Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg, the practical point is that eligibility is not yet defined. TV 2 reports only that the subsidy will target lower incomes and areas outside the big cities, that the details remain to be negotiated, and that nothing starts before 2028. No income threshold, geographic boundary or residence requirement has been published, and the pilot does not change the cost of charging an electric car.
