France is looking to adopt new legislation that will offer a €2,500 (£2,170) grant to anyone scrapping their old vehicles for a new e-bike or bicycle.
According to a report by Reuters, French parliament has just approved the new funding in a preliminary vote as part of a climate bill.
This is part of measures to help France meet binding EU targets to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
Olivier Schneider, president of the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB), welcomed the legislation.
He said: “For the first time it is recognised that the solution is not to make cars greener, but simply to reduce their number.”
France is not the only country to offer a scrappage scheme to boost micromobility adoption.
Finland introduced its own “cash for clunkers” scheme this year and has so far seen 3,200 applicants receive €1,000 (£868) to trade in their old vehicles.
Of those that traded in their car, 2,000 opted for e-bikes as a replacement, 1,000 bought lower emission vehicles and 100 traded them for public transport vouchers.
UK cycling investment strategy beyond 2021
The Department for Transport (DfT) did launch a scrappage scheme back in the recession in the late noughties to boost the UK car industry.
However, funds were not eligible to be used for anyone wishing to switch away from their car for an e-bike or bicycle.
However, the UK government has already said it will be setting out its investment plans for cycling beyond 2021.
This four-year statutory cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS 2) will reflect the new policies in the Government’s £2 billion funding package, called Gear Change, which it says is set to transform active travel.
The DfT has confirmed it will consult on CWIS 2 with relevant stakeholders ahead of its publication later this year.
This means anyone in the industry will be able to make their case for a similar cars for micromobility scrappage scheme in the UK.
The Gear Change plans have already stated the DfT will establish a national e-bike support programme, “which could include loans, subsidies or other financial incentives”.
The DfT said it would also use learnings from other schemes in the UK and abroad to boost e-bike adoption.
A spokesperson for the DfT told Zag: “We are not yet ready to announce the details of the e-bike support programme but are considering how best to support them, and will make a further announcement on this in due course.”
