In Paris, but also in Hauts-de-Seine or in Yvelines, nearly one in two new cars (45%) is an SUV.
Across the country, this is the case for more than one in three (38%).
Boosted by female demand, these vehicles are a hit: since 2010, sales have multiplied by seven. "It's a climatic disaster", gets carried away Pierre Cannet, of the environmental NGO WWF which publishes two studies on Tuesday * well documented on the impact of these vehicles on the planet and on the wallet of the French.
“Heavier, more powerful, they emit 20% more than conventional vehicles.
And as they consume more fuel, they also cost more at the pump, ”summarizes the association manager.
SUVs (for Sport Utility Vehicle) have an all-terrain body.
These "fake 4x4" - as they are called, because they often do not have four-wheel drive - are no longer just variations of large sedans, but they occupy all segments.
The Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 replace, for example, the Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 city cars.
In this context, the boost from the stimulus plan to car manufacturers (in total, the State should pay more than 8 billion euros in aid to the sector) panic the WWF association, which now demands a tax that diverts the French SUVs.
The NGO calls for a tax that takes into account the weight of vehicles rather than their emissions (as is currently the case), "a criterion too vague", according to the WWF.
It was also a proposal of the Citizen's Convention for the climate for the time being rejected by Bercy.
"We are at a pivotal moment", insists Pierre Cannet for whom the finance bill and the bill resulting from the proposals of the citizens drawn by lot are the means to change the situation.
"If we postpone until later, the aid injected by the recovery plan will be used without greening the park," he predicts.
Heavy batteries that would penalize hybrids?
A tax per kilo would be a very bad idea, on the contrary judges the Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers (CCFA) which explains that vehicles have generally gained weight in recent decades for safety reasons: to better withstand frontal shocks in particular or to take on new equipment, airbags or others.
“And above all the batteries of hybrid SUVs are very heavy to date.
Taxing by weight would penalize these vehicles.
While our goal is electrification, the rechargeable hybrid is a good first step for those who are afraid of running out of batteries, ”insists a spokesperson for the CCFA.
At Renault, we promise that engineers are working to refine the batteries.
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But these new models of hybrid or electric SUVs are the bête noire of the WWF.
“Ubuesque”, judges Pierre Cannet because these new models actually increase our CO2 emissions.
“We need to curb SUV sales.
Otherwise, France will not be able to meet its climate commitments for 2030, even by continuing the electrification of the vehicle fleet, ”warns the association.