Germany is setting a new standard when it comes to encouraging people into cleaner cars and the distribution of EV grant money. The government is currently offering a €6,000 grant for the purchase of a new EV and, thanks to the way things are set up, this means you can lease a brand new Renault Zoe without paying a penny. Here’s how it works.

Every Country Could Learn From Germany’s Current EV Grant System

Here in the United States or even in the U.K., grant money for EVs are generally deducted directly from the purchase price – that’s part of the reason why Teslas used to look so affordable. In Germany, however, the €6,000 EV grant can be spread across monthly payments instead, which opens the door from some pretty awesome deals. The deal in question today is offered by Autohays Koenig, which apparently has over 50 showrooms across Germany. The company is offering the Renault Zoe on a two-year lease for exactly €6,000. That means that anyone eligible for the EV grant can walk into a Autohaus Koenig dealer and roll out of the parking lot with possession of a Renault Zoe for the next two years, without paying a single Euro for it.

As it turns out, the deal is a pretty big hit. Since the marketing campaign has gone live, the deal has had more than 150 inquiries about the Zoe and – according to BloombergNEF – could have sold even more had the company had more sales staff:

There’s no telling how long the lease deal will continue or if this will become more of a common thing. And it’s only for a lease, but something tells us that this will go a long way toward encouraging people into green cars and, perhaps, even improving the outlook of affordable EVS. Buying an EV at face value with no long-term experience in a model could be a tough move. If you don’t like it, you’re kind of stuck with it, and you have to pay for it. But, getting a free EV for two years? Well, that gives you time to test the waters without any cost outside of the usual insurance. It sounds like a good way to see if an EV is for you, don’t you think? Now, if only we could get a similar deal here in the U.S….