► Paris to treble SUV parking fees
► New weight based costs to park
► Anything over 1.6 tonnes targeted
A referendum in Paris has voted to increase parking costs for heavy cars – meaning that SUVs and larger vehicles will be charged three times as much as today. Local media reports that parking a weighty 4×4 for six hours in central Paris could cost as much as €225 (£192).
Anne Hidalgo, the socialist city mayor, launched the programme that targets the French equivalent of Chelsea tractors – ‘les 4×4 de ville‘ – and 55% of residents voted for the measures. However, only 6% of eligible voters took part in the referendum on 4 February 2024, according to the authorities.
How the new weight-based Paris parking fees work
The new measures voted overnight mean that any car weighing more than 1.6 tonnes will have to pay a new higher parking cost. Tickets for these vehicles, which include most SUVs and large cars, will rise threefold, to €18 (£15) for the first hour and rising to a maximum cap of €225 (£192) for six hours.
Tellingly, this weight limit excludes most French SUVs made by Citroen, Peugeot and Renault – though the heavier, electrified models get closer to two tonnes. The DS9 1.6 E-Tense 4×4 weighs 1909kg.
What about electric cars parking in Paris?
The new price applies to all combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars. However, all-electric cars are allowed a heavier kerbweight of two tonnes.
Parisians with resident parking permits are exempt from the charges in their home area. Disabled drivers, health workers, tradespeople and taxi drivers are also exempt from the new higher parking charges.
Hidalgo said: ‘We are doing this to reduce pollution and to make our children safer because these cars are dangerous. Paris is transforming itself to allow people to breathe better and live better.’