Article: France plans Feebate based on CO2; $7,300 bonus for EV's

[MetroMPG]

Looks like France watched what happened with Canada's EcoAuto FeeBate program, and decided to improve on it:

Under the scheme, a bonus will be paid to purchasers of new passenger cars emitting less than 130 g CO2/km, which now represents about 30% of sales. The bonus will be supplemented by an extra payment when the acquisition of the vehicle is accompanied by the scrapping of a vehicle that is more than 15 years old.

Conversely, buyers of new vehicles that emit more than 160 g CO2/km will pay a penalty. This will affect approximately 25% of new vehicles sold.

Buyers of vehicles emitting between 130-160g CO2 will not receive a bonus nor will they pay a tax. This “neutral zone” will apply to about 45% of vehicle purchases.

The payments and the penalties are based on a sliding scale—the less (or more) carbon dioxide emitted, the greater the payment or penalty, respectively. The threshold points for payments or penalties will advance 5 g CO2/km every two years to encourage ongoing development efforts.

source: Green Car Congress

France's proposed program makes Canada's program look like it was penned by a couple of grade-schoolers. France's is much fairer to the automakers (sliding scale of thresholds without the massive steps in rebate/tax amounts found in the Canadian system; incentive to replace older vehicles - something the CDN lobby has been clamouring for).

On the other hand, the carrots and sticks for consumers are much better designed as well.

I also like this:

"The threshold points for payments or penalties will advance 5 g CO2/km every two years to encourage ongoing development efforts."

[MetroMPG]

As usual, the comments at GCC are worth a read for that article.

E.G.

• Would it not make more sense to implement an annual vehicle registration carrot/stick program, rather than a one-time dis/incentive at purchase time?

• And also of course, the inevitable comments about whether the rationale behind this attempt at social engineering is even justified...

[Lazarus]

Dumb question. How do you figure out what 160g/CO2/KM means?

I agree that they should make it a annual thing.

[MetroMPG]

Not a dumb question. It's worth trying to find a "translation" for people who don't use that metric.

Off the top of my head, all I can give you is a this single comparison point, from the earlier post about the heavily ecomodded Renault Logan:

"97g/km (NEDC combined cycle) equivalent to fuel consumption of 3.8 liters/100km (62 mpg US)"

[MetroMPG]

I'm sure there's a calculator out there, but I'm having no luck.

A formula might be available somewhere at fueleconomy.gov, for example, because they list the CO2 emission estimates for each vehicle along with the EPA ratings.

[SVOboy]

That's a pretty hefty rebate for EVs. I wonder if this would apply to the cost of conversion as well?