Licence-free car insurance costs are rising in France
Increased sales and accidents drive up insurance premiums for voitures sans permis (VSP)
Many licence-free cars like the Citroën Ami can be driven from the age of 14
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The price of third party insurance for a voiture sans permis (VSP) is now around €65 a month, up from an average of €40 a month for the last few years, according to a report by one of France’s main motoring magazines.
L'Auto-Journal said that in one case the parents of a 14-year-old who wanted fully comprehensive insurance for their child were quoted €2,000 a year.
There has been a big increase in the number of VSPs on French roads, with sales increasing by between 15% and 16% a year since the electric Citroën Ami was launched in 2022.
Read more: Sales of small, no-licence, cars are booming in rural France
Accident risk in VSPs
However, alongside this has been a rise in insurance claims after accidents involving VSPs.
The most high-profile incident, in January, involved a 14-year-old driving a Citroën Ami legally in the town of Avion (Pas-de-Calais).
The teenager was driving home from school with a friend when they ran over a woman and her eight-month-old baby in a pushchair on a pedestrian crossing. The baby received a serious head injury.
Attempts by The Connexion to ascertain average VSP insurance prices from providers and brokers failed – they all said that too many factors, such as the driver’s age, previous history and the cost of the vehicle, influenced the premium too much for a simple figure to be given.
Renault’s Mobilize division, which is due to launch an electric VSP called Duo 45 Neo this spring, said it was not worried that insurance prices would put off buyers. The vehicle will cost €9,090, after a €900 grant from the government.
“We expect that most buyers will use their existing insurance company, but in any case dealers will all offer an insurance quote from a deal we have with Pacifica Assurances,” a spokeswoman told The Connexion.
Read more: Are eyesight rules for drivers the same for licence-free cars in France?
The firm is also launching a more powerful version of the Neo, capable of reaching 80km/h, and a one-seater transporter version. Both require a driving licence.
To qualify as a VSP, the vehicle must have a maximum empty weight of 42 kg, be a maximum of 3m long, have only two seats, a motor limited to 6kw (8HP) and a top speed of 45km/h.
The two ‘historic’ manufacturers of VSPs in France, Aixam and Liger, now both offer electric versions, albeit for considerably more than the Ami or the Duo.
