On August 1, 2021, the Abbeville police officers in the Somme (Hauts-de-France) intercept an 11-year-old child driving an unlicensed car.
The child explains to them that he accompanies his father completely drunk home.
If history may give rise to a smile, “
carts
” or “
unlicensed cars
” are more and more numerous in France.
During the first six months of 2021, 7,088 new cars without a license were sold, according to AAA Data, an association specializing in the processing of registration data in France.
Read also: Car without a license: to drive like the grown-ups
The "
cart
" is not new. It was created and marketed for the first time in 1898 by Léon Bollée, a French car manufacturer, who will register the name. At the time, the "
cart
" looked like a motor tricycle with two or three seats. It was not until 1984 that the Aixam brand marketed its first license-free car as we know it today. The brand then became the leading manufacturer of unlicensed cars in Europe.
Today, the "
cart
" is a motorized vehicle with 4 wheels, designed to transport 2 people maximum, including the driver.
It can carry a load of up to 250 kg and can generally reach a speed that cannot exceed 45 km / h.
Its engine has a maximum power of 6 kW, far from the 55 kW of the Peugeot 208, for example.
Read also: 1960s: when the car was a sacred object
The conditions for driving a car without a license
The car without a license can be driven by all teenagers aged at least 14, holders of a moped license and who have followed a practical driving training of 7 hours.
It can also be piloted by people who have had their driving license withdrawn or suspended.
People who have never had a B license can also drive it.
It must, however, be registered with a plate on the back.
The steps to take to obtain the vehicle registration document from the prefecture are the same as for a conventional vehicle.
These vehicles are subject to two-wheel regulations.
There is therefore no technical control, only revisions every year or every 5000 km.
Read also: Can I give my car to my grandson when he does not yet have his driver's license?
The market for unlicensed cars is booming.
From January 2021 to April 2021, “
7,088 unlicensed cars were sold
”, and in one year, the market increased by “
29.3%
” according to AAA Data figures published in early August and consulted by
Le Figaro
.
The car manufacturer Citroën launched in May 2020 its electric car "
Ami
", presented as "
an urban mobility solution
", and Ligier remains the European leader in unlicensed cars with 143 million euros in turnover in 2020.
