2026 is the last year that the Ecobonus for electric scooters is worth up to 40% of the price. From 2027, the amounts will decrease, and the rules will become stricter. The problem is that the 2026 funds ran out within a few hours on the March click day, and since then, those looking to buy must navigate a very different landscape from what generic guides describe.
In this guide, you will find how the contribution for an electric moped costing €4,000-€5,000 is actually calculated, what to do concretely when the portal shows funds are depleted, which regional incentives are truly stackable (spoiler: far fewer than you'll find listed elsewhere), and how much you lose by waiting until 2027.
In brief
- 30% of the price without scrapping, 40% with scrapping of a thermal vehicle up to Euro 3.
- Caps at €3,000 and €4,000 excluding VAT: for vehicles under €12,000, these caps never apply; you always get the full percentage.
- No ISEE limit. Valid for private individuals and VAT-registered companies. Obligation to retain ownership of the vehicle for 12 months.
- The reservation is made by the dealership, not you. From July 9, 2026, a maximum of 2 reservations per day can be entered.
- From 2027, the contribution drops to 20% / 30%: on a €4,953 scooter, this means about €495 less.
How much is the 2026 Ecobonus for electric scooters worth?
The 2026 Ecobonus is the last tranche of the incentive established by the 2021 Budget Law and provides 30 million euros for the current year. It applies to new factory vehicles in categories L1e to L7e, electric or hybrid, with a list price not exceeding €20,000 excluding VAT.
The amounts depend on only one variable: whether or not you scrap an old thermal vehicle.
| Situation | % of Price | Maximum Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Without scrapping | 30% | €3,000 excluding VAT (€3,660 including VAT) |
| With scrapping of a thermal vehicle up to Euro 3 | 40% | €4,000 excluding VAT (€4,880 including VAT) |
The contribution is calculated on the list price in the purchased configuration, excluding VAT and net of any commercial discounts from the seller. Optional extras included in the invoice contribute to the calculation; those sold separately do not.
The real calculation for an electric scooter costing €4,000-€5,000
Here's the most common misunderstanding. Many read "€4,000 cap" and think they will receive €4,000 for any vehicle. In reality, the cap only applies to vehicles over €12,200 including VAT: below that threshold, the contribution is always the full percentage.
Translated to the L1e electric moped category, 45 km/h, which are real replacements for 50cc scooters in the city:
| List Price | 30% Discount without scrapping |
Final Price | 40% Discount with scrapping |
Final Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €4,000 | €1,200 | €2,800 | €1,600 | €2,400 |
| €4,500 | €1,350 | €3,150 | €1,800 | €2,700 |
| €4,953 | €1,485.90 | €3,467.10 | €1,981.20 | €2,971.80 |
List prices include VAT. The discount is applied directly to the invoice by the dealership, which then recovers the amount through tax credits: you do not pay anything upfront and do not wait for refunds.
The interesting point: with scrapping, an average electric moped drops below €3,000. At that point, the comparison with a new thermal 50cc is no longer even a discussion, considering that the running cost of an electric vehicle is only a few cents per 100 km, and routine maintenance is limited to tires, brakes, and little else.
Who can access and with what requirements
Buyer requirements
- Residence in Italy at the time of purchase.
- Individuals and legal entities, with a cap of 500 vehicles per tax code or VAT number.
- No ISEE requirement: unlike car incentives, income does not matter here.
- Obligation to maintain ownership of the vehicle for at least 12 months before reselling it.
Vehicle requirements
- New from the factory, never registered before, and registered in Italy.
- Category L1e to L7e, electric or hybrid, with no power limits.
- List price not exceeding €20,000 excluding VAT (€24,400 including VAT).
- Financial leasing purchases are also permitted.
Requirements for the vehicle to be scrapped
- Thermal vehicle approved in environmental class up to Euro 3, of the same category as the vehicle purchased.
- Registered for at least 12 months to the buyer or a cohabiting family member.
- In compliance with the PRA and delivered to the dealership at the time of purchase.
- The seller must deliver it to a scrapyard within 15 days and complete the deregistration.
Regarding the "same category" requirement, dealership practices are not always uniform. If the vehicle you want to scrap belongs to a different L category from the one you are buying, have it confirmed in writing during the quote phase, before the reservation is entered.
How the reservation works (and why it doesn't depend on you)
The most common mistake is looking for the application form. It doesn't exist. The procedure does not require any direct action from the buyer: it is the seller who accesses the portal, verifies the availability of funds, and reserves the bonus, which is then recognized to the customer as an immediate discount on the invoice.
The flow, in order:
- You agree on the model and sign the quote or order with the seller.
- The dealership accesses the Ecobonus portal managed by Invitalia on behalf of MIMIT and enters the reservation, attaching the documents of the vehicle to be scrapped if applicable.
- The reservation blocks the amount. Requests are processed in chronological order until funds are exhausted, with a deadline of December 31, 2026.
- After registration and delivery, the seller uploads the final documents and confirms the operation.
- The discount appears on the invoice. The dealership recovers the amount as a tax credit.
The novelty of July 9, 2026
From July 9, 2026, a maximum limit of 2 daily reservations per dealership is active on the platform, introduced by MIMIT to ensure equitable access to resources and prevent hoarding. For now, the limit applies only to 2026.
The strategy changes completely: your seller no longer needs to be the fastest in Italy on click day. You need to be among the first two in his queue. Before signing, explicitly ask how many people he already has on the waiting list for reservations.
Funds exhausted: what to actually do
2026 reservations opened on March 18 at 12:00 PM, and funds were exhausted within a few hours, well beyond predictions. But then something happened that almost no one talks about: after the record depletion, some resources were unlocked – reservations entered without actual sales being concluded – and made available again. On May 6, 2026, the portal reopened precisely for this reason.
This means that "funds exhausted" is never a definitive condition until December 31. Here's what makes sense to do, in order of effectiveness.
1. Get on the list, don't wait for reopening
Reopenings are not announced weeks in advance. Those who already have a signed quote, scrap vehicle data, and documents ready will be booked in the first few minutes; those who still need to choose the color will not.
2. Take advantage of the 2 daily reservation limit
This is the most underestimated move. With the daily cap per dealership, a seller with few customers in line will book you much faster than a large chain with fifty people on its list. Ask for your position: it's information they must provide.
3. Account for expiring reservations
Unconfirmed reservations within the prescribed terms return to the available funds. This is a continuous and silent release: small amounts reappear on the portal in the days and weeks following a sold-out.
4. Check if you qualify for a regional tender
If you purchase with a VAT number, the options expand considerably, as most 2026 regional tenders for vehicles are aimed at businesses. We'll discuss this in detail below.
5. Do not postpone until 2027 hoping for better conditions
This is the most costly choice, and it's counterintuitive because 2027 brings more overall funds. See the comparison below.
Stackable regional incentives: the real situation
Many guides publish tables with generous regional figures. It's worth being precise, because the difference between those tables and reality is substantial: in 2026, there are no regional tenders targeting private individuals for the purchase of an L1e electric moped. Open measures for L category vehicles are reserved for businesses and entities.
| Measure | Who can access | Contribution for L1e-L5e electric | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lombardy Vehicle Renewal 2026-2027 |
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and Third Sector entities with operational headquarters in Lombardy |
€1,500 without scrapping €2,500 with scrapping |
2026 Line open from June 3 to October 31, 2026, unless funds are exhausted |
|
Lazio Commercial Vehicle Replacement |
Businesses | Not applicable: concerns N1 and N2 commercial vehicles | Extended until 31 December 2026 |
|
Emilia-Romagna Sustainable mobility calls |
Private residents | Not applicable: pedal-assist bikes and cargo bikes only | Active |
| Veneto, Piedmont, Autonomous Provinces | Variable per call | To be checked on the individual ongoing call | Discontinuous windows |
|
Municipalities ZTL, parking, road tax |
Private individuals and businesses | Non-monetary but recurring benefit | Permanent, local regulations |
Always check your Regional portal: calls have short windows and are reopened without notice.
How cumulation works
A regional contribution can be combined with the state Ecobonus only if the call expressly provides for it. For businesses, the de minimis regime applies, with a maximum of €300,000 granted to the same single enterprise in the previous three years. The different disbursement mechanism should also be considered: the Ecobonus is an immediate discount on the invoice, while regional contributions are almost always reimbursements upon application, with their own review process and timelines.
On the other hand, local benefits offer concrete and continuous advantages: exemption from road tax for the first five years from first registration throughout the national territory, with reduced rates or permanent exemption depending on the region, free access to ZTLs in most major cities, reduced parking fees in blue-striped zones in several municipalities, and often lower car insurance premiums, as many companies offer reduced rates for electric vehicles.
What changes from 2027 (and how much it costs to wait)
MIMIT has already allocated 90 million for the 2027-2030 period: 25 million for each of the years 2027, 2028, and 2029, and 15 million for 2030, with the program active until March 31, 2030. More overall funds, therefore. But with lower individual amounts.
| 2026 | From 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Without scrapping | 30%, max €3,000 | 20%, max €2,000 |
| With scrapping | 40%, max €4,000 | 30%, max €3,000 |
| Annual funds | 30 million | 25 million (15 in 2030) |
| Quota reserved for L1e-L5e | Entire plafond | 50%, the other 50% for quadricycles |
The key point is the fourth: from 2027, half of the annual resources are earmarked for quadricycles. The effective plafond available for scooters and mopeds therefore drops to approximately 12.5 million per year, less than half of the 30 million in 2026.
How much waiting costs, in numbers
On an electric scooter costing €4,953 with scrapping: in 2026 the discount is €1,981.20, from 2027 it drops to €1,485.90. Difference: €495.30 less. The same difference applies without scrapping. In addition, the 2027 booking platform is not yet available, and the plafond dedicated to two-wheelers is halved.
Errors that lead to losing the contribution
MIMIT may request the full reimbursement of the contribution. The most frequent causes are:
- Reselling within 12 months. This restriction is formal and verifiable from the PRA.
- Scrapped vehicle not compliant. Environmental class above Euro 3, registration less than 12 months old, or irregular PRA status.
- Price list above threshold. The €20,000 VAT excluded cap is calculated on the official price list for the purchased configuration, not on the discounted price you negotiated.
- Vehicle already registered. Zero-mile vehicles and ready-to-deliver models already registered are not included.
- Lack of transparency in the invoice. Ask for the quote to separately show the list price, seller's discount, VAT, state contribution, and final amount. If the contribution is not isolated on the invoice, it is harder to defend in case of an inspection.
Choose your electric scooter before the next window
In our selection, you'll find L1e electric mopeds up to 45 km/h from Rolektro and Maximus, all within the range where the Ecobonus applies at its full percentage. Contact us to verify the availability of funds for the model you're interested in and to get a quote, so you're ready at the right time.
Free shipping in Italy over €100 · Free returns within 14 days
If you are still evaluating which category suits you best, also read our guide on which license is required for an electric scooter: the choice between L1e and L3e changes both driving requirements and the incentive amount.
Last updated: July 2026. Information on amounts, requirements, and fund availability are subject to change by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Always check the updated conditions on the official Ecobonus portal before finalizing your purchase.
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