Owners of SUV models may soon be targeted by new parking charges while travelling in France this summer under new proposals.
Cars such as the popular Kia Sportage, Volvo XC40, Nissan Qashqai and Range Rover models could be affected if new rules come into effect.
On Sunday February 4, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will encourage residents to vote in a seismic motoring referendum which could introduce major changes to parking rules.
The poll will ask whether SUVs should face higher charges to stop in the capital. If approved, owners of heavier vehicles who do not live in Paris will pay a staggering three times more to leave their vehicles.
Paris’ plans would see non-Parisians with vehicles over 1.6 tonnes charged 18 euros (£15.34) to park for one hour.
Last month, Ms Hidalgo claimed the scheme would deliberately target the richest drivers in the city.
She explained: “It is a form of social justice. This is about very expensive cars, driven by people who today have not yet made the changes to their behaviour that have to be made [for the climate].”
The charge would drop to around 12 euros (£10.23) further out of the city centre. But, the scheme will come with a wide range of exemptions which could leave up to 27 percent of SUVs based in Paris unaffected.
Those living and working in the capital will not be hit by the new costs at all.
Meanwhile, taxi drivers, tradespeople, health workers and the disabled will also not get away without paying the inflated costs.
David Belliard, a deputy mayor of Paris for the Green Party, said: “SUVs cost between €6,000 to €7,000 (£5,100 to £5,975) more than a standard car and all the studies by car firms show that they are bought by the wealthiest people with high incomes.
“This measure, if applied, will be directed at the richest people in order to finance the transformation of our public space to adapt to the climate crisis, so it’s a form of social redistribution.”
However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has denied that the plan would ever be introduced in London.
A spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “There are no plans to introduce an SUV parking charge, nor does the Mayor have the powers to do so.
“The Mayor was making the point that leaders across the world are exploring innovative ways of tackling air pollution and improving road safety, and the mayor continues to monitor these.”
The surge in demand for SUVs has led manufacturers to turn their attention to mimicking the style. Data from CarGurus has revealed that the number of new models on sale today sporting the body has increased by 423 percent since 2000.
Analysis has revealed there are 157 new SUV models on sale in the UK today compared to just 30 in 2000.
All 35 of the UK’s most popular manufacturers now have at least one SUV in their collection with an average of five models per brand.
