France suspends subsidised electric car scheme after surge / Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU - AFP/File
-
Nintendo producer 'all nervous' as Zelda classic remake hits shelves
-
Billionaire Ambani's Jio soars in market debut after India's biggest IPO
-
Three killed by storm in southern India
-
AI chip giant SK hynix posts seven-fold surge in quarterly operating profit
-
Two hundred 'Cruise for life' passengers stranded in Cambodia
-
S.African activists push back on data centre rush
-
Billionaire Ambani's Jio jumps 21% in market debut after record India IPO
-
Billionaire Ambani's Jio to debut after record India IPO
-
Sri Lanka's Tamil farmers fight to reclaim land after civil war
-
UK set for cautious budget as borrowing costs climb
-
'They don't care about us': Trump food aid cuts leave Americans struggling and angry
-
US Fed expected to hold rates steady ahead of key midterm elections
-
Palestinian activist Khalil returns to Columbia after US detention
-
AI chip giant SK hynix says quarterly operating profit soars 630%
-
Youths testify about 'despair' in unprecedented Canadian climate trial
-
Charles tackles thorny legacy of slavery on Caribbean trip
-
Storied Paris department store seeks bankruptcy protection
-
UN nuclear watchdog chief urges Iran to grant access
-
Boeing shares tumble after it releases cautious growth forecast
-
Boeing releases cautious growth plan as shares fall sharply
France suspends subsidised electric car scheme after surge
The French government said Monday it was suspending a scheme to lease electric cars from just 100 euros ($109) a month after subsidising more than double the number of vehicles planned for 2024.
President Emmanuel Macron's administration launched the scheme in December 2023 to make electric vehicles affordable to low-income households and reduce carbon emissions in France.
The scheme initially planned to subsidise up to 25,000 European-built electric vehicles this year, but it doubled the number following huge demand.
"It's a real success story, emblematic of French environmental policy: good for the wallet and good for the planet," said an advisor to the president.
Eligible French residents could rent a car without a deposit for three years and renew the subscription once, supported by a subsidy of up to 13,000 euros for each car.
In addition to income eligibility conditions, applicants must need a car to travel to a job more than 15 km (9 miles) away from home.
The French government indicated it plans to relaunch the scheme at the end of 2024 for 2025.
"What's great about this scheme (...) is that you're both giving people who aren't necessarily well-off access to a cheap electric vehicle and producing more French vehicles. We have to manage to do both", French Industry and Energy Minister Roland Lescure said on France 3 television on Sunday.
D.Avraham--CPN
