Which electric cars will be the purchase of which could be encouraged by the ecological bonus? Response on December 15 with the publication of the list of eligible vehicles from January 1, 2024. Two texts published Tuesday or Wednesday in the Official Journal will also detail the method of calculating this “environmental score” which also aims, indirectly, to limit imports of Chinese cars into France.
The score will be calculated by the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe) with data provided by manufacturers. It will take into account the carbon footprint of production: the materials used, the assembly, the battery and its manufacturing which still emits a lot of CO2, as well as the transport of the vehicle from its place of manufacture. Only electric cars obtaining a minimum score of 60 points will be eligible for this aid of several thousand euros allocated to the purchase or long-term rental.
Promote French and European production
France is thus innovating at the European level, while the Union is slow to position itself against these new competitors. “We are going to stop subsidizing electric vehicles which have a bad carbon footprint”, which “will make it possible to promote the most virtuous industrial production”, affirmed the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire in a declaration sent by the ministry.
“We are giving an advantage to French and European companies which are making the effort to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition. If no criterion will be eliminatory, the ministry judged on Monday that the score indirectly favored European production.
In China, which dominates the electric car market, the industry still remains largely dependent on coal at a time when more and more manufacturers are trying to enter the European market, often at knockdown prices. Certain models, particularly small ones, produced in Asia could be eligible, the ministry was told.