Upheaval in the Rabla 2026 program. Cars produced in China receive the green light to avoid blocking the program
The Ministry of Environment has urgently modified the eligibility criteria for the Rabla 2026 program, reversing the decision to exclude vehicles manufactured in China. The radical change in strategy comes following clarifications from the European Commission, which signaled that such an origin restriction would have attracted complex bureaucratic procedures at the European level, capable of postponing the launch of the program by at least three months.
Initially, the authorities in Bucharest had announced strict measures regarding the origin of new cars purchased through the program. According to the plan from the beginning of the year, only vehicles produced in European Union member states or in countries that have signed free trade agreements with the community block were to be eligible. This rule directly eliminates from financing models manufactured in China, a highly competitive market, especially in the electric and hybrid car segment.
To avoid a major administrative blockage and delays in the calendar, the Ministry of Environment has finally decided to allow Chinese cars into this year's program. However, officials confirmed that they are not giving up on the idea: the legal steps to introduce the country of origin criterion will be resumed and prepared in advance to be applied starting with the 2027 edition of Rabla.
Structurally, the Rabla 2026 program for individuals will maintain the general lines of the previous year's funding guide, but comes with a significant infusion of funds. The total allocated budget amounts to 300 million lei, registering a considerable increase, 100 million lei more than the previous session.
The value of eco-tickets remains strictly differentiated depending on the propulsion technology chosen by buyers for the new vehicle:
10,000 lei for new motorcycles and cars equipped with gasoline, LPG or CNG engines;
12,000 lei for vehicles with conventional hybrid engines;
15,000 lei for plug-in hybrid cars with charging at the outlet (PHEV);
18,500 lei for the purchase of a 100% electric vehicle.
Through this last-minute adjustment, the Ministry of Environment unblocks the start of the national car fleet renewal program, keeping the market open to global competition for another year, to the direct benefit of buyers targeting more affordable models.
Would you like this article to be expanded with an analysis section on the impact of this decision on domestic car dealers, or would you prefer to keep the strictly informative format?
