French scheme to offer affordable electric cars to low-income households – report

Low-income households in France could soon have better access to affordable electric vehicles, thanks to a new scheme from the French Government.

Budget Minister Gabriel Attal told local media his administration was creating a program which would allow those on low incomes to lease electric cars for as little as €100 per month ($AU145).

Mr Attal says €100 is less than many French people spend on petrol each month. As a point of reference, a litre of 95-octane petrol in France last week reportedly cost an average of €1.73 ($AU2.52).

According to business news outlet Bloomberg, French President Emmanuel Macron promised the subsidised leasing program to address criticisms that battery-powered cars are out of reach for much of the country’s citizens.

Despite incentives of up to €6000 ($AU8700) to help encourage the purchase of electric vehicles, just 12 per cent of new-car sales in France are electric.

When it comes to zero-emission vehicles, it's Norway leading the way, with more than half of all new cars sold there being electric.