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Barcelona and motorcycles are inseparable, and the city is, in fact, one of the places with the most motorcycles per capita. But the sound and smell of our streets is about to change. Or so the City Council hopes. If you have one of those 49cc “gems” in your garage that make more noise than they run and leave a trail of white smoke in their wake, pay attention: Barcelona City Council has just approved the conditions to make switching to electric mobility much cheaper for you.
The initiative offers direct aid of €600 for anyone who decides to make the leap to the silence of the electric motor, whether they are individuals or companies.
It’s not a trivial amount; based on current market prices, this check can cover between 16% and 40% of the cost of a new zero-emission moped.
This move is not an isolated one, but part of the ambitious Pla Clima, the municipal roadmap that plans to invest €1.8 billion by 2030 to mitigate climate change. The medium-term goal? To reduce CO2 emissions by more than one million tons in just five years.
How to apply for this subsidy starting in the fall of 2026
To access these funds, there is one condition that is at the heart of the proposal: scrapping a combustion moped.
To ensure that the process is not a paperwork nightmare, the City Council has set up the Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM) depots, where you can have your vehicle scrapped completely free of charge and obtain the necessary certificate immediately.
In fact, the administration promises to make it very easy: they will only ask for two documents to give you the €600: proof of purchase of the new electric moped and the certificate of scrapping of the old one.
However, an important detail for the most impatient: although all purchases made after March 1 are already eligible for the subsidy, the official call for applications and payment of the money will not open until the fall.
Target: 32,000 electric mopeds
Unlike other state plans (such as MOVES III) focused on cars or large motorcycles, this measure focuses specifically on mopeds (L1e).
The current situation in the city justifies it: there are around 32,000 mopeds registered in Barcelona. Of these, around 8,000 are already electric, but the other 24,000 continue to burn gasoline (with around 18,000 actively circulating).
These are small vehicles, yes, but they are responsible for emitting some 3,000 tons of CO2 per year. The goal is clear: by 2030, the moped fleet will be 100% electric.
One of the big fears when switching to electric is “where do I charge it?” The city council has also made a move on this front. A second line of aid worth almost €3 million will be opened to create a network of 64 battery exchange stations within four years.
This system allows you to arrive at a station, leave your discharged battery and take a full one in a matter of seconds, eliminating the waiting time of the traditional plug.
The measure, which seeks a fair ecological transition and puts health at the center, does not stand alone. It has the explicit endorsement of heavyweights in the sector, such as the entities of the Observatori de la Motocicleta, Anesdor, Motoristes per Barcelona, and the P(A)T. So, if you were thinking of replacing your old bike, the timing and conditions seem unbeatable.
