In order to ” don’t shoot yourself in the foot »Antoine Armand intends to ask Brussels to postpone the sanctions targeting European car manufacturers who have not reached the objectives on CO2 emissions in 2025.
« SIf we have to impose gigantic fines on manufacturers because they have not moved fast enough, the first consequence will be to weaken investment and above all to strengthen our Asian competitors », affirmed the Minister of the Economy in an interview with Echos Sunday.
“Manufacturers firmly committed to the electrification of vehicles should not have to pay fines in 2025: I will defend this position with Marc Ferracci, Minister Delegate for Industry, to the Commission and our counterparts”he assured.
Indeed, Marc Ferracci also defended this same idea in an interview with the German daily Handelsblatt Sunday. He is due to travel to Berlin on Monday and Tuesday as part of the 10th edition of the Franco-German Economy Day.
North America continues to weigh down Stellantis sales
Antoine Armand had, moreover, already indicated in mid-October before the professionals gathered at the Automobile Summit, on the sidelines of the Paris Motor Show, that the French government “ did not consider » that car manufacturers be sanctioned at European level for non-compliance with CO2 emissions standards. “ Almost everywhere in France, almost everywhere in Europe, life cannot be done without a car, recognize it, it is not ideology, it is observation and pragmatism “, the minister then underlined. “ We will maintain our goals, continue to support you and persist in protecting “, he told the industrialists.
Manufacturers ask Brussels for urgent aid measures
Car manufacturers must respect an annual average of emissions per car sold in Europe. This so-called CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standard requires manufacturers to gradually sell less and less polluting vehicles. It has been generally respected so far but it must reach a new level from January 2025.
Automobile: manufacturers’ offensive against CO2 standards
Most European manufacturers have asked Brussels for urgent aid measures to face the tightening in 2025 of CO2 emissions standards which they consider themselves incapable of respecting, in particular because of the erosion of car sales electrical. Although these sales rebounded in Europe in September after months of decline, they remain far from the expected levels, according to figures published at the end of October by the manufacturers’ lobby (ACEA).
After months of decline, electric cars represented 17.3% of new car sales in Europe (+9.8% year-on-year), compared to 14.8% in September 2023. They notably increased in Germany, where registrations had collapsed since the end of purchase bonuses at the end of 2023, but also in Belgium, Italy and Spain. Several weak months, however, have hampered the mechanics of this electric transition eagerly awaited by the industry: electric sales since the start of the year are 5.8% lower than those of the first 9 months of 2023.
In Paris, the limited traffic zone comes into force
The limited traffic zone (ZTL), desired by Paris City Hall to reduce pollution, comes into force this Monday in the first four arrondissements of the capital. This area of approximately 5.5 km2 will now be closed to vehicles that only cross it. Only emergency vehicles, buses, taxis, people with reduced mobility, motorists residing or working there… and more generally all traffic will be authorized. destination », namely those whose point of departure and arrival is in the area (for a medical appointment, going shopping, to the cinema, etc.).
Paris City Hall expects a substantial reduction in traffic volume on the busiest arteries, with -30% on Avenue de l’Opéra and -15% on Boulevard de Sébastopol, further east, according to the impact study that she carried out.
(With AFP)
