The city of Paris plans to outlaw petrol vehicles by 2030, so along with e-buses, bikes and unicycles, electric cars are becoming a more popular means of transport.Vintage cars, with vintage engines, typically have a lot to say: they grumble around corners, groan up hills and continue to mutter to themselves even when they’ve come to a stop. But this one isn’t like the others.
Increasingly, the streets of Paris are going electric. Like our Renault 4L, battery-powered cars have become a more popular sight over the last decade — together with a burgeoning herd of e-buses, bikes and even unicycles. It’s all part of the city’s plans to outlaw all but electric vehicles by 2030 in preparation for becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Local lore says when the Eiffel Tower was first erected in 1889, Parisians thought it was ugly. Now, it's to be the centerpiece of the Olympics opening ceremony.“Get ready — I’m about to drive in the most dangerous place in Paris,” Renaud calls from the front seat as we approach the Arc de Triomphe, the sound of sirens growing steadily louder as the traffic thickens.