Price is one of the main road blocks in the way of getting an electric car – changing your gas guzzler for a cleaner car can come at quite a cost. With that in mind, the French government launched a new initiative to financially compensate citizens who opt for electric cars.

Image via Wiki Commons.

France has been experimenting with several ways to reduce pollution from urban cars. From paying people to bike and creating more bike lanes to banning cars one day a year in Paris, they’ve tried a lot of things. Now, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy wants to try a different approach.

They’re especially targeting older cars, which are responsible for a disproportionate amount of emissions. The “conversion premium” is available to any citizen who wants to trade his old car for a new, electric vehicle. You can get up to €10,000 ($11,321.47 at today’s exchange rate) if a fully electric vehicle is selected, or up to €6,500 ($7,358.37) for a plug-in hybrid.

Obviously, this is a step in the right direction, but it’s still a small step. The US also tried a similar program, though they only offered up to $7,500 per car. The US also only offered rewards for electric cars, neglecting hybrids.

The move also comes after COP21, where an international agreement was reached to limit greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. France were a great supporter of the pact and they seem prepared to put their money where their mouth is.