An electric car conversion scheme run by the French government to encourage owners replace their old petrol and diesel cars with new electric vehicles has had an unexpected uptake.
Established at the start of 2017, the intention of the scheme is to help France achieve its Paris climate agreement emissions reduction target.
By scrapping old polluting vehicles, owners of old vehicles receive a bonus under the scheme of up to 2,500 euros to go towards the purchase of a new electric vehicle.
The amount received by applicants differs according to taxation status, with taxable households being able to receive a bonus for converting from diesel vehicles registered before 2001, or petrol vehicles registered before 1997.
“Non-taxable” households may convert diesels vehicles registered before 2006, or petrol vehicles registered before 1997.
While the French government allocated funding for 100,000 such applications each year, already 45,000 people have applied for the bonus since January 1, according to local French media group RTL.
To qualify for the conversion bonus, the car must have been owned by the applicant for at least 12 months, be registered in France and not be considered a “damaged vehicle”. The old car must be scrapped within 6 months of the new vehicle purchase.
Currently, two-thirds of the conversion bonuses have been distributed to non-taxable households.
It has been reported that some dealers are offering additional cash rebates of up to 4 or 5 times the amount initially granted by the conversion scheme, while individuals making the conversion bonus application themselves are complaining of delays in processing.
While it is preferable that electric vehicles are purchased under the scheme, applicants may also purchase a petrol or diesel car as long as it has emissions not exceeding 130 g / km of CO2, and a Crit’Air (Air Quality Certificate) rating of 1 or 2.
Presumably the scheme hopes to address France’s failure to reach their 2016 emissions target of 447 million tonnes of CO2 or equivalent. The Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot has stated that France will revise its emissions target by the end of 2018.
Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.
15 comments
‘Dirty Diesel’…time to go.
“Dirty Diesel” arguably a tautology, or at least an oxymoron. Am unaware of any clean diesels, like “clean coal”.
Man you have to go with the program 🙂
It is clean bullsh!t coming out of the pollies’ mouths.
Steve an oxymoron is a contradiction in terms. As you say, clean coal, or dry water.
A tautology is putting an unnecessary word in. Prime examples are continue on, repeat again. As “continue” means “go on,” “continue on” is tautological. Repeat = do again. Dirty diesel is not quite tautological. It could mean diesel contaminated with dirt. Clean diesel however is clearly an oxymoron.
Don’t mind me. I know I’m a grammar freak.
Young Hettie and Stevo….’Clean Diesel’ has arrived, that’s if we are to believe Bosch who have trumpeted a breakthrough in diesel engine technology making it “cleaner diesel”. Me thinks its ‘Dieselgate Part 2’
Seems a shame not to go solely for EV. But hey, this is Australia, polluter extraordinaire. Who am I to talk.
How good is this, can only dream that our country’s government could have the intelligence to do the same.
Let’s see what happens with a new Gov’t.
A new twist on cash for clunkers. I think a lot of people will hang on to their fossil fueled vehicles for longer trips. Free registration for EVs is the way to go.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-07-24/gillard-pledges-cash-for-clunkers-scheme/918274
I wonder if it would be possible to have some system to hire an additional battery for long trips?
It seems that most new EVs will have a range of 200, 300 km. Two hours driving time.
Best not to drive longer than 2 hours without a break, and even now EVs have crossed the Nullarbor.
As EV uptake rises, charging points must proliferate. If the oil companies won’t invest in them, they will go broke, and in any case, it’s an investment opportunity looking for entrepreneurs .
Battery swapping has been tried but until the manufacturers can agree on a standard, I can’t see it happening.
Fast charging will get the most interest.
https://makewealthhistory.org/2017/04/24/what-happened-to-swappable-batteries-for-electric-vehicles/
Can’t argue. Just putting ideas out there as they occur to me.
Coughs and sneezels spread diseales!
Won’t help if France does not switch from nuclear to renewable like Germany did.
The French nuclear fleet is aging. It has to be replaced with something. Already 11% of their energy (not electricity, energy, is from hydro.) Some geothermal too. Wind and solar are lagging, behind the EU average, but they have good wind and sun resources.
What is the least costly to build? You all know the answer to that.
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