Financial aid for the purchase of low-emission vehicles looks set to change in France as the government calls on the public to share their opinion on a scorecard concept. 

The French government is proposing a change to the “bonus écologique” criteria used to evaluate a low-emission vehicle – one powered by electric, hydrogen or a combination of both – in the context of its subsidy scheme. The idea is to introduce a type of scorecard that vehicles will need to pass in order for them to be considered for part-financing.  

At the moment, the only aspect of the vehicle that matters is its emissions. Under the new plans, the government will also look at the production and delivery methods used by manufacturers to determine the eco-credentials of a vehicle before it even touches down on the road.  

According to the European Environment Agency, “Emissions are usually higher in the production phase [of an electric vehicle], but these are more than offset by lower emissions in the use phase over time. Greenhouse gas emissions of electric vehicles [are] about 17 to 30% lower than the emissions of petrol and diesel cars.” 

As much as €7,000 is available to prospective “clean” car owners in France under a scheme that hopes to accelerate the uptake of low-emission vehicles by the public. The current EU goal for a complete transition away from traditional fossil fuel powered vehicles is 2035. In 2022, the purchase of low-emission vehicles represented 23% of all new European registrations. 

A public consultation on the matter, which is open until 25th August, can be found here. 

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Photo source: Eren Goldman, Unsplash