During the consideration of the Finance Bill for 2024, an amendment introduced by MPs of the Horizont group seems to have caught the attention of the government.

This concerns the weight penalty and its implications for hybrid vehicles. We will remind, in 2024 the weight penalty threshold will be reduced to 1,600 kgcompared to the previous 1800 kg.

The scale will be progressive, with the tax starting at €10 per extra kg for vehicles weighing between 1,600 and 1,799 kg, rising to €30 per extra kg above 2,100 kg. The scale will be as follows:

• 10 euros per kg from 1600 to 1799 kg;
• 15 euros per kg from 1800 to 1899 kg;
• 20 euros per kg from 1900 to 1999 kg;
• 25 euros per kg from 2000 to 2100 kg;
• EUR 30 per kg over 2100 kg.

What does the amendment suggest for hybrids?

MEPs from the Horizons group want the amendment to protect hybrid vehicles, whether they are plugged in or not. They offer a reduction of 100 kg for these vehiclesapplies from 1^Er January 2024

The stated purpose is apparently not to penalize hybrid engines, which are structurally slightly heavier than purely thermal engines.

This reduction will therefore free up a number of models, such as the Peugeot 308, 408 and 3008 hybrids, as well as the Renault Espace E-Tech (in the seven-seater version), which weigh more than 1,600 kg. With a weight reduction of 100 kg, Most of these vehicles will therefore avoid a weight penalty.

Nameless bazaar?

If this amendment is included in the final text, it remains to be seen what will happen to another provision of the Finance Bill, which deals with the 2025 weight limit. This provision provides for a reduction of 200 kg for hybrid vehicles. fully electric range in the city exceeds 50 km.

In other words, this means that full hybrid vehicles such as the Renault Espace will no longer benefit from this reduction in 2025, while PHEV models will reduce their weight from 100kg to 200kg if their electric range exceeds the WLTP 50 km. , which applies to almost all modern models.

For their part, vehicles with an all-electric range of more than 100 km, which appeared to be excluded from the 2024 cut, will be reinstated. It all seems very confusing and very abstract at the moment, and there is no doubt that next year, and even in 2025, it will raise some gray hairs among fleet managers and automotive distribution professionals.

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