autoevolution
 

French Government Targets Tesla, Old Diesel Cars, Favors Renault

You wouldn't expect both Tesla and "old diesel cars" to feature in the same sentence unless there was an "it's nothing like" between them, and yet the French Government managed to find a way to squeeze them on the same side of the argument.
Tesla Model S 1 photo
Photo: Tesla Motors
This is even more remarkable considering we're talking about the incentives program offered for the acquisition of electric cars. It looks like the French government is thinking about introducing a price ceiling for the 6,300 euros currently offered to anyone buying an EV. Right now, anyone choosing a car with an emissions-free propulsion system in France gets a 6,300 price cut, but the officials would like to impose a limit for the maximum value of the purchased car.

If the law passes, the maximum price for a new EV that will still qualify for the incentive is 40,000 euros, autoactu reports. That means the new Opel Ampera-e (the European Chevrolet Bolt) will slot just under the price cap with its base model, but French offering Renault ZOE will sit comfortably below the mark with its starting price of 22,100 euros.

Renault isn't exactly playing fair here since buyers of their electric cars are forced to pay a monthly rent for the battery, which remains in Renault's custody for the duration of the contract. Otherwise, its cost (around 70 euros per month, on average, depending on the scheme chosen by the buyer) would have normally been added to the initial price of the car. It still wouldn't have jumped the 40,000 euros mark, but it goes to show how some laws could be more beneficial for those playing at home than for the visitors.

As for the diesel engines, the new law - which, if voted, will take effect starting 2017 - stipulates that the EV incentive is dropped from 6,300 euros to a more rounded 6,000 euros, but anyone who hands over a 10-year-old or older diesel car will get an extra 4,000 euros. Paris is currently battling with a pollution crisis that saw officials block the access of all cars on some streets in certain days and take other measures meant to alleviate the concentration of malign particles in the air.

The French government has always been protective of its industry, and it's a well-known fact that Renault, in particular, has a very big say among the country's decision makers. We will never know for sure whether this decision was orchestrated following intense lobbying from Renault, but it sure looks like it's meant to offer the local brand some more protection against its rivals. However, after Renault showed the Trezor concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, we understand the company is thinking about expanding its EV range. Will it be able to keep all of them under the 40,000 euro threshold? We wouldn't mind if it did, but we'd be surprised.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories