France Smart transportation
France is a European leader in the fight against climate change. Transportation and sustainable mobility are priority sectors for the French government. The ability to participate competitively in these new endeavors, necessitates that U.S. manufacturers of smart transportation products and services consider working with a local partner or establishing a presence in France or Europe.
The French government’s ecological transition agency, ADEME, will implement numerous actions in the area of transportation, such as:
- Backing the development of more efficient and less polluting cars
- Contributing to the sustainable organization of transport systems
- Reinforcing the use of mobility services and collective transport
France is betting on electric and hydrogen vehicles and aircraft
While the goal is to comply with the EU target of a 37.5 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, France plans to exceed the EU target by 2050. Since 2013, the French government has incentivized the purchasing of hybrid and electric vehicles, both two and four wheeled. There are more than 250,000 electric passenger vehicles on French roads and around 70,300 plug-in-hybrid electric passenger vehicles. The market for electric bicycles is booming and buses in large French cities have already moved from 100 percent diesel to hybrid engines.
To support the electric vehicle initiative, France plans to install seven million charging points for hybrid and electric vehicles by 2030 through partnerships with OEMs, energy suppliers and charging station infrastructure providers. The pan-European IPCEI project has recently launched to develop fuel cells, tanks and materials to enable the development of hydrogen vehicles.
The French government announced a financial package in July 2020 to bolster its aerospace industry. Within the larger package, 1.5 billion euros will be made available between now and the end of 2022 to accelerate development of a new “green” aircraft powered by hybrid propulsion. The funds will be allocated to French primes contractors and their supply chains through the government aero research entity CORAC. The emphasis will be twofold: saving up to 30 percent in fuel, with a possibility of burning 100 percent biofuels, and then moving to hydrogen as the primary fuel. Entry in service date is planned for 2035, an extremely ambitious goal.
France wants to develop 5G and quantum technologies
These technologies will serve the development of the mobility of tomorrow and, in particular, the development of connected and autonomous vehicles. There will also be a push for digital developments for mobility 3.0, such as sensor technology, wireless communications, computing, real-time and localization technologies, electronic payment, traffic management, flow and security, and fleet and freight management.
France wants to develop an alternative to road transportation
Investment will prioritize technologies and products for the modernization of rail networks for passengers (train, metro, tramway and bus), and for haulage, as well as technologies related to rail network security. France is also substantially developing cycling lanes in large cities to encourage the use of bicycles.
For more information contact office.paris@trade.gov.