“A large social car park of one million vehicles”: the shocking proposal from the Jean Jaurès Foundation

Reconciling "car-driven France" with ecological measures is the objective of this note from the Jean Jaurès Foundation published on May 21. Faced with critics of the automotive sector's ecological transition—regularly described as "liberticidal," "anti-social," "anti-democratic," "anti-patriotic," and "anti-ecological"—the Foundation wishes to agree on part of the findings.

Nearly half (45%) of French people have no credible alternative to the car , the Foundation acknowledges in support of the Wimoov 2024 barometer of daily mobility. And this automobile dependence "weighs heavily on the budget and purchasing power of households ." These estimated figures support this: " the average expenses associated with the use of a car amount to 3,380 euros per year, including 1,520 euros for fuel ," the note details.

In short, the Foundation, which itself positions itself in the progressive field, wants to highlight the concrete benefits of the ecological transition for motorists themselves. "In terms of purchasing power , the switch to electric is a social policy, which can reduce the mobility budget of the French, especially those who drive a lot," it writes. "Since electricity is cheaper than gasoline or diesel, the initial additional cost of purchase is quickly offset by the savings made on daily use. To travel 100 kilometers with a thermal car, you have to spend 14 euros, compared to between 2 and 7 euros for an electric car," adds the Foundation.

Based on this observation, the note calls for helping car-dependent people, otherwise known as " car France ," in the transition to clean cars. " It is imperative to avoid the mistakes of the past, such as those that fueled the Yellow Vest crisis . Supporting the most vulnerable and/or car-dependent French people and businesses must be at the heart of the progressive project ," it states. This is where the think tank promotes the creation of a fleet of one million cars, financed and managed by a state-owned leasing company backed by a public bank.

The aim is "to quickly offer a low-carbon alternative to car-dependent people who will not be able to access electric cars in the near future," explain the authors of the note, who point out that 85% of French people cannot afford to buy a new car, whether thermal or electric. Furthermore, this initiative is part of a desire to move away from the narrative framework of "punitive ecology," the Foundation calls for. " It is crucial to propose a positive and pragmatic vision, and to refocus the debate on concrete issues ," the note emphasizes.

The idea didn't come out of nowhere: " social leasing " was launched in December 2023 by President Emmanuel Macron, offering a lease with an option to purchase (LOA) for less than 100 euros per month for electric city cars, and 150 euros for family cars (excluding insurance and maintenance), with no initial deposit, and for three years, renewable once. But the operation fell victim to its own success; the government ended it after more than 50,000 applications were approved. While the Élysée Palace had promised that this scheme would be renewed at the beginning of 2025, the outlines of a new operation are still awaited.

Please note that the large social car park proposed by the Jean Jaurès Foundation is part of a series of other proposals which include:

• The contribution of the wealthiest to polluting behavior (taxation on plane tickets, cruises, yachts, e-commerce, polluting new cars)
• The end of road and airport expansion projects
• Anticipation of the European carbon tax (ETS2)
• The transformation of the road into a real public transport with Regional Express Mobility Services
• Support for a French sector of electric micro-cars (kei cars)