France to focus aid on greener car sector after virus hit

(Reuters, 18 May 2020) France's finance minister said an industry support plan was coming, the latest in a series of measures aimed at a greener recovery

France is seeking to bolster sales of cars with lower emissions as part of a support package to be announced over the next two weeks for an industry hard hit by coronavirus lockdowns, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday.

Some carmakers, including France's Renault and PSA , the group behind Peugeot, are starting to reopen plants after closures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But demand was already weak even before the impact of the pandemic, which has exacerbated the financial difficulties of companies and their suppliers.

Le Maire, who met with auto industry bosses on Friday, told France Info radio the government aimed to use any support package or scrappage scheme to encourage a shift towards less polluting vehicles.

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Reuters, 18 May 2020: France to focus aid on greener car sector after virus hit