Will Electric Car Owners in France Have to Pay a New Tax?
Listen to the story
France may soon introduce a new tax on electric vehicles, according to a recent report.
The report was written by the Cour des comptes, a French institution that checks how public money is used.
It suggests that France should consider a per-kilometre tax. Drivers would pay based on the distance they travel.
Currently, the French government earns significant revenue from taxes on fuel, such as petrol and diesel.
However, more drivers are switching to electric cars, which do not use fuel. This means the government collects less money from fuel taxes.
The report says France needs to find a new way to make up for this lost income.
One example comes from the United Kingdom. The UK plans to introduce a kilometre-based tax for electric vehicles starting in 2028.
This new tax would help the UK government replace the money it used to receive from fuel taxes.
The Cour des comptes suggests that France may need to think about a similar solution.
So far, no decision has been made in France. But the report shows that this question is becoming more urgent as electric car use grows.
As more drivers switch to electric vehicles across Europe, governments will likely face similar challenges in the coming years.
Vocabulary10 words
- electric vehicles
- cars powered by electricity instead of fuel
- Cour des comptes
- a French group that checks government spending
- per-kilometre tax
- a tax based on distance driven
- revenue
- money a government receives
- fuel
- petrol or diesel used in cars
- United Kingdom
- the country made of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- 2028
- a specific future year
- decision
- a choice that has been made
- urgent
- needing quick attention
- switch
- to change from one thing to another
Quiz
Answer key
1. Fuel tax revenue is falling as more people drive electric cars 2. Drivers pay based on how far they drive 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
France may soon introduce a new tax on _____ vehicles, according to a recent report.
The report was written by the _____, a French institution that checks how public money is used.
It suggests that France should consider a per-kilometre _____.
Drivers would pay based on the _____ they travel.
Currently, the French government earns significant _____ from taxes on fuel.
However, more drivers are switching to electric cars, which do not use _____.
This means the government collects less money from fuel _____.
One example comes from the _____.
The UK plans to introduce a kilometre-based tax for electric vehicles starting in _____.
So far, no _____ has been made in France.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is fair to tax electric car owners by distance driven?
- How do governments usually pay for roads and public services?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles for society?
- Should countries follow the UK's example, or find a different solution?