According to The echoesthe government would have already decided on the new scales of the ecological penalty applied in 2024.
Thus, this tax, which aims to dissuade buyers from opting for a new polluting car, will change next year. The weight penalty, introduced in 2022, currently penalizes cars weighing more than 1.8 t (empty mass with a driver of 75 kg). For 2024, the executive would have studied different strategies, with a lowering of this threshold to values between 1.5 and 1.7 t, to finally opt for 1.6 t, according to The echoes. This still represents 200 kg less than the current scale.
The daily explains that this threshold would have been chosen so as not to penalize French manufacturers. Certain family models of tricolor brands may however be taxed, such as the new Renault Espace which weighs between 1587 kg and 1698 kg depending on the version. Its heavier hybrid engine, which allows it to reduce its polluting emissions and therefore avoid the CO2 penalty, could ultimately lead to it being taxed for its excessive weight. Here we reach one of the limits of this weight penalty, which attacks a cause rather than its consequences. Fortunately, large families (three or more dependent children) currently benefit from a reduction in the form of reimbursement of the weight penalty of 200 kg per child and the CO2 penalty of 20 g/km per child.
In addition, electric cars – including rechargeable hybrids – would still be exempt from weight penalties. There was talk of subjecting them to it, but this measure would not be applied in 2024. “Their acceptability is not earned, it’s about not scaring people off”explains a source of Echoes about electric cars.
The bonus dedicated to electric cars would still be reserved for vehicles under 2.4 t. However, new conditions would aim to exclude models produced in China. The latter nevertheless make it possible to make the electric car more accessible, with very competitive models such as the Dacia Spring or the MG4, assembled by Chinese factories.
Almost all cars without hybridization affected
The ecological penalty based on CO2 emissions would follow a trend similar to that observed in recent years, namely a lowering of its scale by 5 g of CO2/km. Thus, the threshold for triggering this tax would increase from 123 g/km this year to 118 g/km in 2024, still according to the WLTP certification cycle. Almost all thermal models without hybridization would therefore be affected.
Moreover, while the accumulation of weight and CO2 penalties is currently capped at €50,000, or 50% of the purchase price of the vehicle, it could now be uncapped. Finally, company vehicles will not be forgotten and will also see their taxation harden in 2024.