Finally, an affordable electric car for everyone?

Emmanuel Macron’s “100 Days” roadmap includes the promise of an affordable electric car for everyone… Still or finally?

Last April 27th, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne confirmed that a low-cost, clean vehicle rental offer would be launched this fall. Well, 100 days from April 26th takes us to July 14th in the heart of summer, but let’s not play with the calendar.

By making ecological transition one of the three pillars of this roadmap, the government prioritizes the possibility for everyone to access a clean vehicle suitable for occasional use. The use of public transportation must remain the main focus of the virtuous approach in which civil society is engaged, but cars remain an essential tool for a large part of the population.

The €100 electric vehicle in 2024? It’s confirmed by the government! But the conditions for accessing this measure are still to be defined, just a few months before the opening of the reservation platform announced by the Prime Minister.

ROOLE provides an assessment of the situation. In March 2022, Emmanuel Macron, then campaigneering, promised 100,000 leased electric vehicles for less than €100 per month to the most modest households. In fall 2022, ahead of the Auto Show, the President added some details: preorders will start next fall for a delivery in early 2024. “From autumn, we will launch an accessible electric vehicle offer”, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne reaffirmed on France 2 on Thursday, April 27.

But while the timeline is becoming clearer, the eligibility conditions remain vague. How will this scheme be implemented in practice? Will access be reserved for social-health professions, young people, and/or the general public based on income? Elisabeth Borne has yet to provide further information on the eligibility conditions.

If we follow the speech given by Elisabeth Borne last February, this leasing scheme should take the form of Long-Term Rental (LRT) contracts. Unlike a lease with Purchase Option (LOA), LTR does not allow the vehicle to be bought at the end, but includes maintenance, assistance, and repairs. This solution makes sense within the context of simplifying access to responsible mobility.

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