Ecological penalty: here is the scale that will come into force next month

The state budget for 2025 has been approved and with it the hardening of the ecological penalty. Originally scheduled for January 1, 2025, he could not first be applied due to the fall of the Barnier government. With the vote of the 2025 finance bill scheduled for Thursday, February 6, the new scales of the ecological penalty will finally come into force on March 1.

As expected, the threshold for triggering the CO2 penalty will be lowered by 5 g/km, from 113 g/km now. The ceiling of the only CO2 penalty was also noted from 60,000 to 70,000 € and is now reached from 193 g of CO2 rejected per kilometer.

With this new scale, almost all thermal cars without hybridization will be taxed. A Renault Clio Essence TCE 90 emits for example from 118 g/km of CO2, a minimal penalty of € 170. Some hybrid cars will also be taxed.

Ecological penalty scale at CO2 on March 1, 2025

The finance bill also already provides for hardening the scale of the ecological penalty in 2026 and 2027. The trigger threshold will still be lowered by 5 g of CO2 per kilometer and per year, while the CO2 penalty ceiling will be enhanced by 10 000 € per year. The weight penalty, on the other hand, will apply from 1.5 t in 2026, against 1.6 t currently, and electric cars will no longer be completely exempt. However, they will benefit from a 600 kg reduction, with a trigger threshold fixed at 2.1 t, therefore. As a reminder, the rechargeable hybrids have already lost their exemption from the penalty at weight on January 1, 2025, and now take advantage of a 200 kg reduction.