The introduction of the new calculation of the 2024 ecological bonus for the purchase of a new electric vehicle is fast approaching for the French. This could well undermine the galloping expansion of the presence of Chinese vehicles on our territory.
The calculation of the ecological bonus is expected for next January. As we have deciphered, this radically changes methodology and will no longer be satisfied with direct greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle in use. It will also encompass its overall environmental footprint, from production to end of life. This turnaround risks putting obstacles in the way of Chinese competition, and the dynamics of the electric automobile market will certainly be shaken up a little by this change.
A new calculation, for a broader vision
The old ecological bonus, created in 2008, was clearly insufficient to take into account all the new data that we currently know about the environmental impact of an electric car. Certainly, no internal combustion, coughing exhaust or microparticles, but their carbon footprint is far from neutral. Their production is even rather harmful from a human and ecological point of view.
The new parameters considered in the calculation of the 2024 bonus are numerous: materials used, impact of the different stages of assembly, origin of the batteries and transport of the vehicle to the points of sale. For buyers to benefit from the purchase bonus, manufacturers must respect 60 of the 80 criteria required in the new calculation method. It is Ademe (the Environment and Energy Management Agency) which will guarantee this rigorous methodology and which will examine the vehicles sold in France.
The consequences for Chinese manufacturers
No official press release obviously indicates a desire to slow down the Chinese automobile industry by introducing this new bonus. Indeed, other European manufacturers also manufacture their vehicles in China. However, it is difficult to imagine that certain Chinese brands are not heavily penalized. With batteries manufactured on site and vehicles that will have traveled thousands of kilometers before arriving at dealerships in France, obtaining a good ecological score will certainly be very complex. Enough to significantly reduce their attractiveness compared to major European brands.
Bruno Lemaire, Minister of the Economy, insisted that the State will stop subsidizing electric cars labeled with a bad carbon footprint. This reform has a clear objective: to encourage manufacturers to relocate vehicle manufacturing to Europe. This also applies to Chinese brands. It remains to be seen whether other countries on the continent will follow the same path.
Source : Le Figaro
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