Ecological penalty: when French policy forces electrification well before 2035

© Tesla

The 2025 finance bill does not mince its words . By gradually lowering the threshold of the ecological penalty to 99 g/km of CO2 by 2027, the French government is drawing a clear line: the future will be electric, let the French want or not.

Increasing tax pressure on thermal vehicles

It must be said that the government is currently looking for every possible and imaginable means of replenishing the state coffers. We recently mentioned that the famous penalty was going to bring in a whopping one billion euros this year, and that is not about to stop. The tightening of the penalty leaves no room for doubt.

From 2025, the threshold will rise to 113 g/km, then 106 g/km in 2026, to reach 99 g/km in 2027. This relentless trajectory will quickly transform the French automotive landscape. According to Mobilians, the organization representing automotive professionals, the proportion of vehicles affected by the penalty will explode, going from 40% today to 80% in 2027.

The planned end of affordable thermal cars

© Dacia

Even more worrying, this tax policy directly threatens the very existence of accessible thermal cars. Even the Dacia Sandero, long considered the most affordable new car on the market, will not escape the penalty, making it inaccessible.

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A deep disagreement in politics

Like AdBlue, the debate around the penalty crystallizes tensions. The Finance Committee of the National Assembly tried to put the brakes on by rejecting the article providing for the increase in the penalty. Corentin Le Fur, a member of parliament for the Republicans, points out the impact on purchasing power, particularly in rural areas. Facing him, Eric Coquerel of La France Insoumise defends the need to send a strong signal to manufacturers, accused of favoring energy-guzzling SUVs.

A high-voltage electric transition

While the environmental objective is laudable, the carrot and stick method risks creating an even greater social divide in access to mobility. The high price of electric vehicles is still a major obstacle for many French people.

By forcing this transition well before the European deadline of 2035 and its ban on thermal vehicles, France is betting on a rapid democratization of electric vehicles. But without adequate support for the poorest households, this policy risks coming up against a complex social reality for the French, where the car remains an essential tool for getting to their workplaces.

• The ecological penalty will affect 80% of new vehicles by 2027
• Affordable thermal cars will gradually disappear from the French market
• The forced transition to electric raises concerns about the financial accessibility of mobility

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