Ecolo has proposed a pilot project to provide 10,000 electric cars to middle-class workers in Belgium for €100 per month.
The initiative aims to make electric vehicles accessible to workers earning below the median salary, offering European-made cars on a long-term rental basis for three to five years. The concept is inspired by a similar programme launched in France.
Gilles Vanden Burre, co-leader of Ecolo, emphasised the focus on workers who rely heavily on their cars, such as nurses, home care assistants, and independent contractors. “We want to reach people who work and need their car,” he said.
The project is estimated to cost €70 million and would require government support. Vanden Burre explained that the state would purchase the fleet of electric cars, prioritising compact city models, and rent them out to eligible individuals.
Eligibility criteria are still under discussion, but Ecolo suggests targeting workers earning less than €4,000 gross per month, below the median salary. “We aim to help middle-class and lower-middle-class people—those who often get overlooked in crisis measures,” Vanden Burre added.
