The Government of La Rioja has announced the closure of its 2026 vehicle acquisition aid programme after exhausting a budget of €1 million in less than three weeks. The announcement was made during a meeting of the Council of Government on 12 May.
The regional Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Business and Self-Employment confirmed that the additional aid programme, launched to encourage the renewal of the vehicle fleet, improve road safety, and reduce pollution, has been met with overwhelming demand.
This initiative follows the success of a previous programme that had a budget of €2 million and benefited 800 individuals. The high uptake prompted the allocation of an additional €1 million to assist a further 400 residents of La Rioja.
Initially, the application period for the current aid was set to run until 17 July. However, the rapid depletion of funds indicates the popularity of the scheme, which aims to support adults residing in La Rioja for at least six months, with vehicles that are at least ten years old.
Eligible vehicles included passenger cars with an Eco or C label, priced at €60,000 or less (excluding taxes). The regional government has promoted this initiative to facilitate the purchase of new, less polluting vehicles, thereby updating the region's vehicle fleet, improving air quality, and enhancing safety for both drivers and pedestrians.
In total, the Government of La Rioja has allocated €5 million through the VER (2024) and CAR (2025 and 2026) programmes, enabling approximately 2,000 individuals to receive assistance in purchasing new vehicles. In October 2024, the regional government set aside €2 million to stimulate sales in the sector and modernise an ageing vehicle fleet. Under this programme, the ADER (Development Agency of La Rioja) provided €2,420 for each vehicle sold, supplemented by €1,330 from dealerships, resulting in a final discount of €3,750. A total of 819 individuals benefited, with 86% being residents of La Rioja.
In December 2025, another aid programme was launched with a budget of €2 million, offering a total savings of €4,000 per transaction—€2,500 from ADER and €1,500 from dealerships—benefiting 800 residents. In April 2026, an additional €1 million was allocated, further aiding 400 residents under the same conditions as in 2025.
