To flash speeding, there is currently nothing better than diesel!
When asked by a parliamentarian whether the fleet of radar cars would soon go electric, ” as part of the reduction of CO2 emissions “, the response of the Ministry of the Interior may surprise, because it is by no means topical.
Technically, that would simply not be possible.
The 400 radar cars scheduled to circulate in 2023, of which 223 are driven, according to this same answer, by private operators, will have to remain equipped with a heat engine, and in this case Diesel, for a while yet.
The problem is not so much the mileage covered by these vehicles: “ On average, an outsourced driving radar car [a priori, ce sont ces voitures radars confiées au privé qui roulent le plus, NDLR] travels 250 km per day “says Beauvau’s response sent to the National Assembly on March 28.
In theory, it would therefore seem entirely possible to convert this fleet to electric, now that several models have a range of around at least 400 kilometers.
Only then, the use – automated or not – of the measuring instrument inside these vehicles would be far too energy-consuming to think about.
A 100% diesel fleet will soon also be powered by gasoline
This is at least what we can understand from the answers given to the deputy (Les Républicains) Jérôme Nury, elected from Orne, one of the departments of Normandy where the privatization of driving radar cars began to roll out in 2018.
« The radar cars are recent models of the compact or sedan type but which require a Diesel engine (Crit’Air 2 sticker) insofar as the equipment integrated into the vehicle requires a minimum engine power », justifies the ministry.
« Adaptations are currently being made to the equipment in order to make it functional with gasoline-powered vehicles “, he continues. Petrol cars which would then have the Crit’Air 1 sticker.
And as far as electricity is concerned, technical developments would only be ” soon to be launched “, without further precision of time. Suffice to say that the real change is not for now.
At a time when the government is increasing calls for electricity, which would be “ essential » et « indispensable to decarbonize transport, this is a new example of the difficulties that lie ahead in implementing this conversion.
With the traffic restrictions which are especially destined to spread everywhere, one can wonder if these Diesel radar cars will not soon be stored in the garage.
Flashing cars soon to be flashed?
In theory, the 43 agglomerations of more than 150,000 inhabitants in metropolitan France must, as a reminder, have set up, by December 31, 2024, Low Emission-Mobility Zones (ZFE-m) to limit access to so-called polluting vehicles.
Theoretically still, it is vehicles with Crit’Air 3 stickers and above that are the first affected.
But in some cities, the calendar already schedules an extension of the bans to Crit’Air 2 vignettes, ie all Diesels, including the most recent!
This is for example the case of Greater Paris, where a ZFE has been deployed since 2019, and which plans it for 2024. In 2030, the large agglomeration even intends to accept only electric vehicles.
In 2024, it is also normally the year of the introduction of automated control to sanction those who do not respect these traffic restrictions.
The fine incurred in the event of traveling in a ZFE with an unauthorized vehicle or without a Crit’Air sticker is then 68 euros. It is even 135 euros for trucks, buses and coaches.
In 2021 (due to a lack of data in 2022), this would have represented only a thousand fines, if we are to believe the most recent report from the National Interministerial Observatory for Road Safety (ONISR).
The most surprising thing is that this number of PV would be down 44% compared to 2020.
Still, the risk of being fined, as long as the said reports are drawn up by hand by the agents, remains deemed to be quite limited.
Automated sanction control is expected from ” second semestre 2024 “, announced the Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion at the end of 2023.
It will be a system by reading license plates “, specified Christophe Béchu, which “ allow exemptions to be incorporated “, of the kind ” emergency vehicle, people with disabilities »… And radar cars still powered by diesel?