Electric cars: the new ecological bonus conditional on an “environmental score”

To be eligible for the new ecological bonus scheduled for January 1, 2024, electric vehicles must have obtained a certain "environmental score", linked to the CO2 emissions generated by their materials or their transport, the government told AFP on Thursday. confirming information from the Echoes.

According to the newspaper, the Ministries of Economy and Energy Transition must submit for consultation on Friday the draft regulatory texts framing the reform of this ecological bonus, financial aid granted for the purchase or long-term rental of a vehicle. little polluting. Depending on the emissions generated by its materials, assembly or transport, each vehicle will receive an "environmental score", the government has confirmed. If this score - the calculation of which has not yet been specified - exceeds 60, the model will be eligible for an ecological bonus.

“This reform will allow us to reserve public support for electric vehicles which have the best carbon footprint and which are therefore produced in the most decarbonized countries and factories”, underlined the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire. In detail, the carbon footprint of steel, aluminum, and other materials necessary for the manufacture of cars, such as glass, would be taken into account, as would the transformation and then the assembly of these materials. The manufacturing conditions of the battery, which emits a lot of CO2, will also play a decisive role in obtaining this score. The type of vehicle (city car, family) and its means of transport to France (boat, train or plane) will also be taken into account.

In May, Emmanuel Macron announced that the ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric car would be reformed to "take into account the carbon footprint" of their production and thus favor vehicles manufactured in Europe. In China, the energy to produce them still relies heavily on coal. By imposing these environmental criteria, “we give an advantage to French and European companies that make the effort to reduce their environmental footprint” assured the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Manufacturers whose models are not eligible will be able to appeal to try to obtain an exemption, it is specified in Les Echos. A file will have to be submitted in the fall, and will be studied before the end of the year.