France considers electric vehicle eco-score and new annual vehicle tax

France is considering significant reforms to automotive regulations and taxation to address the transition to electric vehicles. The Ministry for Ecological Transition has opened a public consultation regarding a potential change to the calculation method of the ‘eco-score’. This score, managed by Ademe, evaluates a vehicle's carbon footprint based on material extraction, battery production, and transport. The proposed reform aims to create a third category for the score to better differentiate between vehicle segments, such as SUVs and city cars, which are currently judged by the same criteria.

Simultaneously, the Institut Mobilités en Transition (IMT) has proposed the reintroduction of an annual vehicle tax, or ‘vignette’. This proposal responds to the projected decline in fuel tax revenues caused by the rise of electric vehicles and decreasing mileage. The suggested annual fee would be modulated based on the vehicle's environmental impact, the owner's income, their place of residence, and the number of vehicles owned by a household. This move aims to offset the loss of billions in revenue currently generated by fuel duties.