April 28, 2022
The European Union has had to take new measures to counter this scourge. Its objective is clear: carbon neutrality by 2050.
When you consider that the automotive sector is responsible for 30% of CO2 emissions, and that cars account for 60% of this sector, doing away with the combustion engine has become the major challenge of this century.
To halt these emissions, the European Union has announced a ban on sales of combustion-powered cars and vans from 2035.
🌍 Low-emission zones, a new brake on combustion-powered cars
In France and throughout Europe, low-emission zones (LEZs) are becoming increasingly common.
These zones are designed to protect populations in the most polluted, densely populated areas. Low-emission zones are areas in which access is prohibited at specific times. This measure is dedicated to vehicles which do not meet certain emission standards, and which therefore have an impact on public health.
Most of these areas are metropolises.
In France, four local authorities have already implemented this new measure:
- Lyon Metropolis;
- Grenoble-Alpes-Métropole ;
- City of Paris;
- the Greater Paris Metropolis.
Today, 7 new low-emission zones will see the light of day in the very near future.
EPZs are well known for their effectiveness in reducing emissions from road traffic. These measures are bound to improve air quality in major French and European cities. It's a real brake on the combustion-powered car. It encourages motorists to switch to electric vehicles.
Unfortunately, today's EPZs are not all standardized in terms of constraints. It's still rather complicated for motorists to find their way around. Nevertheless, it's a good step towards the transition to electric vehicles.
Thermal⛽ or Electrical🔌?
Today, the deployment of electric charging stations is intensifying. Gas stations are now migrating to electric charging structures.
This migration is bound to have an impact on gasoline prices. Producers will sell less and will be forced to increase the cost of gasoline to counter this scourge.
Today, driving a combustion-powered car is still far from being forbidden, but the drastic rise in the price of petrol will severely restrict the use of a combustion-powered car.
Buying a combustion-powered car is going to become less and less attractive as time goes by, not to mention the deterioration in the cost price of used cars, which is starting to have some effect, particularly on diesel vehicles.
Even so, the cost of buying an electric car is considerably lower than filling up a combustion-powered car. Not all models have the same fuel consumption, but the average cost of filling up an electric car is between 10 and 20 euros, compared with over 50 euros for a full tank of petrol. What's more, an electric car loses far less value over time than a combustion-powered car. This makes the investment much more profitable:
🏛️ Ecological bonus
Since 2018, the French government has been paying out financial aid to buyers of electric cars. Its aim is to encourage the French to go electric. During the confinement, President Emmanuel Macron announced a new plan towards an electric transition. As a result, from 2020 onwards, motorists will have access to financial assistance of up to €7,000 in ecological bonuses. Of course, this sum will only be paid if the price of the vehicle does not exceed €45,000. If the cost of the vehicle is between €45,000 and €60,000, the bonus is €3,000. This gesture greatly accelerates the switch to electric vehicles.
In conclusion, everything possible is being done to make the internal combustion engine disappear. The law doesn't yet prohibit its use, but the government is putting in place measures to influence the purchasing habits of French motorists. From the price of recharging, to no-go zones for certain vehicles, to substantial financial assistance for the purchase of an electric car, the combustion-powered car is gradually being pushed out the door.
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