Carmakers apply for French EV subsidies under more stringent rules. Automobile manufacturers will start providing French authorities with the technical details of their electric vehicles on Tuesday in the hopes that they can continue to get subsidies under the new rules, which are likely to push out many Chinese models.
The environmental score of each model will be based on the whole production cycle, taking into account carbon emissions for the transportation of automobiles and the materials and energy sources used to produce them in the face of intense competition in the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
A government source said that even if they are some of the most popular electric car models in France, the score, which is automatically computed by a dedicated web platform, is likely to exclude the majority of models made in Asia.
“If there are vehicles produced in Asia which are very light, which are relatively virtuous, perhaps they could remain eligible (for the subsidies), we think that there are at least a few of them, however it will clearly not be the majority,” a source told me last month.
The most popular EV models in France include the Model Y and Model 3 from Tesla, the Dacia Spring, and the SAIC group’s steadily rising MG4. All of these vehicles are made in China. For most households, the government provides an electric car subsidy of 5,000 euros ($5,270), and for poorer households, 7,000 euros.
The auto industry should hear back around December 15, and any unfavorable ruling will be subject to appeal. Italy is considering a similar plan.
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