For example, France ensures that Chinese electric cars do not receive any subsidies

France subsidizes electric cars, as does the Netherlands. But things will change in the country. The funding rules will be adjusted so that the money continues to flow into European electric vehicles and no longer into Chinese ones.

Did France simply say: Cars from China are no longer subsidized? No, that violates the current free trade agreements. So there had to be a more sophisticated way to keep the money away from BYD, Nio, etc.

In France there is a grant of 5,000 euros for an electric vehicle

In the first quarter, around 40 percent of French subsidy money went to Chinese electric vehicles. In France, buyers of new electric cars under 47,000 euros receive a subsidy of 5,000 euros from the state.

Indirectly, cars from China are banned

Until now it didn’t matter where an electric vehicle was built, but soon it will. The new rules stipulate that emissions are examined during the production process.

And that’s a nice way to disqualify Chinese brands, given that 60 percent of the country’s energy comes from coal-fired power plants.

No non-European batteries

Macron is open about the intentions behind the new rules. “We don’t want French tax money to be used to promote industry in non-European countries.”

The President even wants to go one step further. The EU should enact similar regulations to encourage battery production in Europe. “We shouldn’t be using batteries that aren’t made here.”

The US and China have similar rules

Incidentally, the USA and China have already taken measures to favor electric cars from their own country. And that makes Macron angry.