One of the key activities of IDDRI's Mobility in Transition initiative is to develop and maintain a database on the evolution and challenges of the transport sector in France in the context of the energy and environmental transition that it must undertake. The ambition is to have a capacity to project and simulate the fleet and sales or uses/behavior over time and according to the political instrumentation deployed at the European, national or local level. This database also integrates an economic and social component to work on the equity issues of the schemes proposed by the authorities. This includes subsidies and grants for the purchase of electrified means of transport, whether for bicycles, two-wheelers, private vehicles or commercial vehicles.
In this context, IDDRI, in collaboration with its partner C-ways, has carried out a complete inventory of existing subsidies for low-emission mobility in France, at different geographical levels. Indeed, these subsidies, which represent a powerful lever for accelerating the electrification of the fleet, are also a source of inequality, or at least of territorial heterogeneity that raises questions on the priorities defined by each of the competent authorities. In 2019, the Bouches-du-Rhône region ranked second behind Paris in terms of the number of electric vehicles registered, thanks to an additional €5,000 subsidy provided by the departmental council and the Aix-Marseille Provence metropolis for the purchase of an electric vehicle. This decision caused a doubling of electric vehicle sales between 2018 and 2019 in the region. Even today, there are significant differences between territories and modes, for example for the purchase of an EV the maximum amount of subsidies can reach 1,150€ in Montpellier and only 450€ in Toulon.
IDDRI and its partner C-Ways are now making this 2022 inventory available to everyone, along with a comparative analysis of the situation by type of equipment and place of residence: