France's car tax revenues set to exceed €1 billion in 2026

An analysis by Mobilians and Dataneo shows that French taxes on new cars – the CO₂ malus and weight tax – generated €523.4 million in the first half of 2026. With the tax thresholds lowered (malus now applies above 108 g/km CO₂ and the weight tax from 1 500 kg), 51 % of new vehicles faced at least one penalty, driving projected annual revenues past the €1 billion mark for the first time.

German premium brands dominate the collections, with Mercedes contributing €66.5 million, followed by BMW, Volkswagen and Audi. The broader tax base now includes many hybrid‑rechargeable models.

At the same time, France’s vehicle fleet is aging. A Leboncoin study of over 800 000 listings finds the average car age has risen to more than 11 years, and one‑half of cars are older than eight years. Sluggish new‑car sales, despite a recent rebound in hybrid (48 % of sales) and electric (35 %) models, have accelerated the ageing trend that began in 2020.