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France EV Incentives Target Diesel Owners
In April France will begin offering diesel owners as much as €10,000 to replace their cars with electric vehicles.
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In April France will begin offering diesel owners as much as €10,000 to replace their cars with electric vehicles.
The incentive program will target diesels that are at least 13 years old. The government also will gradually adjust taxes on diesel fuel, starting with this year's increase of 2 cents per liter, to make diesel ownership less attractive.
About 80% of the cars in France today are diesel powered, partly because current fuel taxes make them cheaper to operate. But Energy Minister Segolene Royal says the government is determined to wean consumers away from diesels to help improve air quality. She claims 60% of the French population is breathing unhealthy air.
About two-thirds of new cars sold in France last year were diesel powered, down from a peak of nearly three-quarters in 2012, according to French trade group CCFA. Royal acknowledges that phasing out such vehicles must be done gradually to minimize the impact on employment.
Last month Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced the city aims to phase out all diesel vehicles by the end of the decade.
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