The 2025 finance bill is no exception. By gradually lowering the ecological penalty threshold to 99 g/km of CO2 by 2027, the French government is drawing a clear line: the future will be electric, whether the French like it or not.

Growing tax pressure on thermal vehicles

It must be said that the government is currently seeking all possible and imaginable means to replenish the state coffers. We mentioned a short time ago that the famous penalty would bring in a whopping one billion euros this year, and that is not about to stop. The toughening of the penalty leaves no more room for doubt.

From 2025, the threshold will increase to 113 g/km, then 106 g/km in 2026, reaching 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 ax, thus becoming inaccessible.

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 with both feet by rejecting the article providing for the increase in the penalty. Corentin Le Fur, Republican deputy, points out the impact on purchasing power, particularly in rural areas. Facing him, Eric Coquerel of La France Insoumise defends the need tosend a strong signal to manufacturers, accused of favoring energy-guzzling SUVs.

An electrical transition under high voltage

If the environmental objective is laudable, the carrot and stick method risks create an even greater social divide in access to mobility. The high price of electric vehicles still constitutes 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 the rapid democratization of electric vehicles. But without adequate support for the most modest households, this policy risks coming up against a complex social reality of 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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