Individuals looking to purchase high-polluting vehicles in France could soon be stung with significant new penalties.
A draft budget law currently in France’s parliament would more than double the penalty that consumers would need to pay based on the carbon-dioxide emissions of their vehicles. The penalties could reach as high as €50,000 ($59,000) in 2022.
Bloomberg reports that under the new plan, vehicles emitting more than 225 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer will be taxed at a maximum rate of €40,000 ($47,255) in 2021, increasing to €50,000 in 2022. The publication notes the levy will be capped at half the cost of a vehicle.
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Models from manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benzcould take the brunt of these new penalties. Bloomberg reports that vehicles such as the Lamborghini Urus and Aventador, Porsche 718 Spyder and 911, Rolls-Royce Ghost and Cullinan, Bentley Flying Spur, various Mercedes-AMG and G-Class models, and the Ferrari Portofino and 812 could all be subject to the upper limit of the levy.
“This would be relatively bad news for supercars, luxury and exclusive vehicles, and a show stopper for foreign imported cars,” Jato Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz said, adding that high-volume SUVs could be under threat in France from the levy.
The new French law still needs to go through parliament, but if it does so, it could add to the pressure the auto industry is facing under the European Union’s 2030 Climate Target Plan that calls for the industry to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% from 1990 levels.
