In summary, SUVs and sedans weighing over 1.6 tons will now be charged €12 ($13) per hour for parking in Paris, with the city center charging even higher rates of €18 ($19.5) per hour. Electric passenger cars are also subject to this increase, but their weight limit has been raised to 2 tons.
This measure specifically targets the wealthiest individuals in one of Europe’s most expensive capitals. It is important to note that less than 6% of registered voters in Paris participated in the referendum, and 54.6% of those voters supported the increase in parking fees for what the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, referred to as “expensive, heavy, and polluting cars.”
Compared to last year’s referendum on banning rental electric scooters, which saw 7% voter participation, there were fewer voters this time around. While SUVs are visibly larger and more conspicuous than electric scooters, it is worth mentioning that electric scooters do not emit harmful pollutants into the air, unlike SUVs with internal combustion engines or hybrid models. Despite this, Paris officials have been more lenient towards SUVs.
Anne Hidalgo has served as the mayor of Paris for a decade and is well-versed in the city’s most pressing issues. One of these issues is traffic pollution, which is not only caused by burning oil-based fuels in combustion engines but also exacerbated by congestion.
Hidalgo is also known for her efforts to reduce reliance on cars, implementing various measures over the years to prioritize public transportation, cycling, and pedestrian infrastructure. As a result, the number of car journeys in Paris has nearly halved compared to the 1990s.
It may seem unrelated, but it is worth mentioning that Hidalgo is a member of the Socialist Party, which aims to regain its former influence in French politics. This context helps understand the underlying political motivations behind this policy.
In essence, this can be seen as a classic example of “taxing the rich,” a strategy often associated with socialism. Undoubtedly, those who feel economically disadvantaged will find satisfaction in the fact that wealthy drivers will now pay more to park their luxurious vehicles in Paris.
On the flip side, Paris consistently ranks among the top 10 most costly cities in Europe. Consequently, a large portion of its residents are not exactly “deprived,” given the exorbitant rental and purchase prices, as well as the high cost of utilities and groceries. Let’s be clear: individuals who opt for bicycles or public transportation are not impoverished, but rather sophisticated, modern citizens.
Where do we draw the line when it comes to these “monsters on wheels?” As you may be aware, SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle and typically refers to a larger car with ample interior space, increased ground clearance, and larger wheels compared to a regular sedan or hatchback. It often boasts a 4×4 wheel drive and evokes dreams of embarking on unprecedented adventures in the wilderness.
Alternatively, it simply gives off an air of affluence, as SUVs have been labeled by popular wisdom throughout the years. Although the first contemporary SUV was the Toyota RAV4, a three-door vehicle designed for city-dwellers measuring less than 4 meters in length, it was the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the four-wheel drive star of the Jurassic Park movie, that truly captured the public’s interest in luxury SUVs.
This was followed by the BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg, and Audi Q7 – all of which were pricier, heavier, and larger than the sedans they were based on, such as the BMW 5-Series or Audi A6. Over time, nearly all car manufacturers joined the SUV and crossover trend, resulting in a flood of models saturating the market.
Twenty years after the introduction of the RAV4, in 2023, SUVs accounted for more than fifty percent of new car sales in Europe for the first time. This is largely due to the fact that almost every standard car platform now has an SUV (or SUV-like) variant, often offering the same amount of interior space, trim, and price as hatchbacks or sedans built on superior platforms.
However, the SUV style is much more fashionable. For example, Renault’s lineup in France features more SUVs and crossovers than traditional passenger cars. The same can be said for Citroen and Peugeot, the other prominent French car manufacturers. Nevertheless, the recent referendum will only affect a few of their models.
Long live the French, farewell to the Germans! In the case of Renault, the Austral SUV, measuring 4.5 meters in length (utilizing the same CMF platform as the compact hatchback Megane), manages to stay just under the 1.6-ton weight limit, even in its top-of-the-line variant with 200 horsepower and full-hybrid front-wheel drive.
This hybrid powertrain is the sole option for the 21 cm / 8 in longer Espace and the 4-door-coupe Rafale, which explains why these derivatives exceed the 1.6-ton limit. Consequently, these models are not exempt from parking fees.
Furthermore, they are €10,000 / $10,700 more expensive than the entry-level Austral, which has a starting price of €35,500 / $38,200. One could argue that there is some semblance of “social justice” at play here. However, the 200 horsepower powertrain is more fuel-efficient than the 130 horsepower mild-hybrid option by over 2 liters per 100 kilometers in city traffic, highlighting a certain degree of injustice in terms of pollution reduction, don’t you think?
Citroen’s flagship vehicle is the C5 X, a crossover that measures 4.8 meters in length. This makes it larger than Renault’s top-of-the-line SUVs. However, even the basic variant of the C5 X, which is powered by a three-cylinder 1.2 liter 130 hp turbo gasoline engine, weighs less than the 1.6 tons limit. This raises the question of why a larger car, which would require more space in traffic and parking lots, is not subject to the park fee increase.
The plug-in hybrid version of the C5 X, which boasts a theoretical pure-electric range of 62 km / 38 miles, weighs around 1.8 tons. It is unclear whether Paris officials consider plug-in hybrids to be simply hybrids or if they fall under the category of “electric vehicles.”
Interestingly, the C5 SUV is shorter by almost 30 cm / 12 in compared to the C5 X crossover, but it faces the same weight issues. The plug-in hybrid variants exceed the 1.6 tons limit, while the powertrains with higher consumption values are just below that limit. The price difference between these variants is quite significant, with the plug-in version being more expensive by over €10,000 / $10,700 compared to the turbo gasoline variant.
Peugeot’s largest SUVs, the compact SUVs 3008 and 5008, also face weight restrictions. The hybrid variants of these vehicles exceed the 1.6 tons limit by a few tens of kilos. Additionally, the 100% electric 3008 weighs almost 2.2 tons, surpassing the 2.0 tons limit for EVs.
It seems unjust for a 4.5-meter-long electric SUV to pay three times more for parking compared to a longer estate like the 508 SW. The 508 SW measures almost 4.8 meters in length but weighs less than 1.6 tons with its 136 g/km CO2 gasoline variant.
While the expensive “Made in Germany” SUVs, such as the BMW X5/X6, Audi Q7/Q8, and Mercedes-Benz G/GLE/GLS, are the primary targets of the new parking fee hike, there are surprisingly many other less expensive cars that are subject to the higher parking tax.
For example, only the GLA 180 and 200, which are powered by the same gasoline engine but have different power outputs, weigh less than the 1.6 tons limit. The rest of the Mercedes-Benz SUV and crossover lineup exceeds this limit, and in some cases, by a significant margin.
In the realm of electric vehicles, only the EQT, which is essentially a rebadged Renault Kangoo, weighs less than the 2.0 tons limit. The other electric passenger sedans and SUVs from Mercedes-Benz will have to pay more for parking in Paris.
A similar situation applies to Audi and BMW. Some variants of the Audi Q2 and Q3 SUV models weigh less than the 1.6 tons limit, while only the entry-level gasoline variant of the BMW X1 falls under this limit. The rest of the Audi and BMW lineup, including the most affordable electric variants, exceed the 2.0 tons limit.
Japanese or South Korean sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are no exception; neither are Volvo, Alfa Romeo, and many other brands. While there are few instances of expensive larger cars that weigh less than smaller and more affordable ones, generally speaking, the Paris referendum is clearly a rebuke to car manufacturers. Or over their SUV enthusiast customers.
Taxing the current state of affairs? Or simply prohibiting it? According to officials, the increased parking fees will impact approximately 10 to 15% of the vehicles traversing Paris roads. However, there will also be some exemptions, such as Paris residents utilizing their authorized parking spaces.
So, if you reside in Paris, having a lavish Rolls Royce Cullinan worth half a million dollars parked in your designated spot won’t be a problem. I apologize for being mean, but I wonder if those who can afford €50,000 / $54,000 or even €100,000 / $108,000 high-end and luxurious SUVs will care about this price increase.
After all, as common wisdom teaches us, “the wealthiest” opt for SUVs for the established order and to flaunt their status, correct? I suspect there won’t be many willing to relinquish their extravagant SUVs when heading out on a Friday night to a restaurant or club, where a few hours of pricier parking won’t significantly impact their budget.
And you know what? I believe Paris officials share the same belief, as they anticipate an annual increase in parking fee revenue of about €35 / $38 million. That’s because, as demonstrated by London’s low-emission zone example, people are willing to pay more for their convenience rather than abruptly altering their habits.
You can’t expect someone driving a BMW X5 to opt for a smaller and less equipped 1-Series or, even worse, a bicycle or public transportation unless you compel them by prohibiting access to heavy, large, and polluting vehicles in the area. Yes, that’s correct, an extremely unpopular SUV prohibition.
For now, the price increase for parking will most likely have a noticeable impact on those driving older SUVs and large cars. Their resale value is much lower, and their owners are, at most, “moderately wealthy,” but not wealthy enough to disregard the effect of tripling the parking fee.
In my opinion, the only positive aspect of this measure is that numerous older diesel cars could gradually be removed from Paris traffic. Hopefully, by September, when the new measure is set to take effect, many individuals will abandon their gas-guzzlers.
However, this is a significant IF, as this year’s elections are a sensitive subject. Due to the wave of extremism and the constant presence of fake news and manipulation, bold decisions can have unintended consequences. Just look at how the protests by farmers tend to undermine the European Green Deal.
Of course, an SUV prohibition is too extreme, even for the socialist mayor Hidalgo administration. I mean, last year, authorities postponed the ban on old and polluting diesel and gasoline cars (registered before 2011 and 2006 respectively) until 2025. It was considered too severe a measure in a country where the “Yellow Vests” movement could ignite a new revolution.
In my personal view, other cities should not replicate Paris’s decision. I consider this “battle against SUVs” to be inelegant, if not somewhat unintelligent. Raising the parking fees for bulky and sizable SUVs is ineffective, whereas prohibiting them from parking altogether would undoubtedly resolve the problems of traffic congestion and pollution more effectively. If you are unable to park your vehicle there, you will not drive there, correct?
Regardless of how radical this action may seem, I am confident that the 11 million residents of Paris concur that the quality of the air they inhale takes precedence.
According to the Source autoevolution.com