The French automotive industry is very much on the rise. His fear? That the government tightens the scale of the ecological penalty. Today, cars emitting more than 118 grams of CO2 per kilometer are taxed. Gold according to the daily The Worldthe executive is considering, as part of the preparation of the finance law, lowering this threshold to 113 grams next year, then to 106 grams in 2026, and finally 99 grams in 2027.
This prospect sparks an outcry in the automobile industry. This Wednesday, Luc Chatel, the president of the Automotive Platform (PFA), the sector lobby, shared his anger during a Senate hearing. According to him, this measure amounts to attacking the wallet of “Mr. and Mrs. Everyone”.
“More than one in two thermal-powered vehicles sold in France will be affected”he chokes, arguing that “all ranges of Renault Clio, Peugeot 208, and light utility vehicles could be affected”.
A revolt against “affordable mobility”
Several models among the most popular with the French, including city cars, risk being taxed. “The Dacia Sandero and the Citroën C3 would thus suffer, in 2025, an increase in the penalty of 77%”indicates a good connoisseur of the file, who mentions a gain of 26 million euros for the State. According to him, hybrid engine versions of certain flagship models would, for the first time, be subject to the penalty. Like the Fiat 500, Peugeot 308, or even the Toyota Yaris Cross.
Manufacturers and equipment manufacturers do not hide their annoyance. Many criticize an offensive against “affordable mobility”. This is the case of the director of a major French brand. If he says “understand the merits of this measure, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions”he deplores “this pressure on affordable mobility”. Same story with a large equipment manufacturer. “Our topic today is that cars remain as affordable as possible”says a manager.
“We have to stop hitting us”
Luc Chatel, for his part, does not hesitate to describe the measure as“disguised tax”. In his eyes, the philosophy of “equalization” of the bonus-malus system, consisting of taxing customers of the most polluting vehicles to reward those of the most virtuous cars, is no more. In other words, the bonus will no longer compensate for the penalty. The leader of the PFA estimates that expenses linked to the bonus should decrease by 30% over one year, to 1 billion euros in 2025. While on the other hand, the penalty could increase, according to him, from 1.3 at 1.8 billion euros.
This toughening of the penalty is all the more unwelcome, complains Luc Chatel, as the automobile industry is suffering in France as in Europe. The new car market actually recorded a fifth consecutive month of decline in September. The number of registrations fell by more than 11%, to 139,000 vehicles sold. “At some point, we have to stop hitting ourselves”launches the leader of the PFA, who believes that the sector is facing enough difficulties.
