Ecological penalty: the “big” electric vehicles targeted from 2024?

While the Government wants the ecological bonus to focus on electric vehicles “made in Europe” from 2024, doubts also arise about the sanction.

Unlike the bonus, which supports the sale of low-emission vehicles, this surcharge is directed at vehicles considered the most polluting based on their level of CO2 emissions.

CO2 penalty and weight penalty

In 2020, the government had given up the network for this penalty until 2023, with a gradual tightening: during the period, the activation threshold fell from 138 grams of CO2 per kilometer to 123 g/km. Obviously, from January 1, it is from this level of emissions that buyers must pay a penalty of 50 euros, with an amount that increases for each additional gram up to the ceiling. A cap, the maximum surcharge, which has also increased notably in recent years, going from 20,000 euros in 2020 to 50,000 euros this year.

In addition to the sanction, in 2022 a novelty appeared: the weight sanction, or officially the “tax on the mass in running order” (TMOM). Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are not affected by this tax, which affects vehicles weighing more than 1.8 tons, at 10 euros per additional kilogram, with a cap of 2.2 tons (and therefore a weight penalty). of 4,000 euros).

What evolution in 2024?

If we can bet on a new tightening of the CO2 scale and the weight penalty, the idea would also be to remove the ceiling on the sum of the two. Indeed, currently, the sum of the two surcharges cannot exceed 50,000 euros or 50% of the price of the vehicle.

A ceiling that could be eliminated, while the weight penalty would be activated from 1.6 or 1.7 tons, the Economy Minister, Bruno Le Maire, indicated in early June before the Senate Economic Affairs Committee, in statements quoted by elargus.

Another clue that the specialized magazine mentions, the fact that the heavier electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles no longer escape this weight penalty. This was confirmed by the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune. Asked this Monday about Europe 1, the minister indicated that this path is being studied:

“There is a debate about whether we include in this penalty (by weight) electric vehicles that would be heavy or hybrids, I think it should be done in stages,” explained Clément Beaune.

Therefore, the idea would be, initially by 2024, to lower the activation threshold of the weight penalty, only for thermal vehicles. But also to start thinking about this evolution of the aid criteria, but also of possible sanctions, for electric and hybrid vehicles. A priori in a second time, by 2025.

“Among electric vehicles, there are some that are more or less ecological in their way of production, which is why, little by little, the criteria will have to be toughened”, adds Clément Beaune.

Limitation to 110 km/h for employees

A spokesman for the Ministry of Ecological Transition also told AFP that the penalty for buying the heaviest vehicles and the most CO2 emitting should “be increased very significantly”.

“Contrary to the previous developments in terms of ecological bonds and sanctions endorsed by decrees, these proposals will be debated in the National Assembly and the Senate” as part of the “green industry” bill, recalled the Argos.

Act II of the energy sobriety plan, presented this Tuesday by the Government, should only include a rather symbolic measure on the automotive side, by encouraging companies to have their employees drive at a maximum of 110 km/h instead of 130 km /h on the highway. , following instructions given to state agents since last fall.