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Paris Finally Ends the Continually Loss Making Venture with Bollore Group

The simplest principle of business is that you don’t associate yourself with ventures that don’t bear profits. Almost everyone who sets out to conduct business understands this basic principle; however officials in Paris appear to have realized this only recently. What makes us so sure about this? Well, they decided to end their venture Autolib only recently.

For those who don’t already know, Autolib was the result of a contract between Paris officials and Bollore Group. The contract was signed back in 2011. At that time, things appeared to be all fine and dandy to Paris, regardless of how red flags were apparent to average Joes. And today, 7 years into the agreement, Paris has finally decided to pull out.

The question arises: why? Well, Autolib had been generating major losses and neither of the parties was interested in taking ownership of these loses. Basically, the loss absorption ratio had NOT been agreed upon in the contract. Just when you thought that the people sitting in the Paris office could not get any dumber.

The lesson that France should learn from this is that they should not go after new technology, especially when it comes to the automotive industry, while ignoring the insights and opinions of the industry experts and professionals. They should know better than to be obnoxious and caught up in their election campaigns. And it’s not as if the current scenario wasn’t predictable. Autolib never achieved the kind of popularity as was initially forecasted by Paris. When you take it all into perspective, you have to ask: why’d it take so long?

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZSiDwvHUAk

The Outrageous Law of Getting Fined Even When Car Is Stopped

Using mobile phone in car

A driver, in France, received a parking ticket in 2017 as punishment for using his phone while his car was parked at a roundabout with the hazard lights on. The driver recorded his protest against the atrocity by appealing in the court and was successful. This successful appeal propelled the lawmakers into making a law that declared the usage of smartphones to be banned in cars altogether, regardless of whether the car might be moving or stationary. According to the law, it is illegal for drivers to use their mobile phones, at any time, inside the vehicle unless the car is parked in one of the designated parking spots or private driveway.

According to the French government, this law is part of the plan to reduce the number of deaths on roadsides as a result of traffic accidents. However, what the authorities failed to address was how a mere driver, texting while sitting in his stationary car, could harm the local public. Think about it: what difference would it make, to the lives of the pedestrians, if a person is using their smartphone or not, while sitting in the stationary car.

If the French government was truly sincere about significantly reducing the number of car accidents in the country, they would focus more on spreading awareness among the general public on the issue, rather than making scapegoats out of car drivers. If you think about it, this act appears to be nothing more than an act of vengeance on part of the French government, owing to how they decided to enforce the law as soon as a commoner successfully appealed against an outrageous ticket. Well, on the bright side, France is rejoicing on how the authorities have allowed the commoners to still make calls in case their cars are broken down at the side of the road. There are other similar driving laws introduced that can be termed as laughable at best!

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxw6-zwOtTI

It’s About Time for Macron to Choose Economics over Politics

We all know how the two of the biggest French car companies, Peugeot and Renault, are closely linked to Britain, not only in the matters of manufacturing but in terms of the market as well. Bearing that in mind, if you bring the apparently impending disaster of Brexit into the picture, the scenario could turn out to be not only disastrous but painful as well, at least for the working class of the French population.

A key French car lobbyist has advised Macron that when the time comes, he needs to choose economy over politics and worry about protecting jobs rather than the sanctity of Brussels. It is so because if the world witnesses Brexit happen, then it would result into a lot of uncertainties for the two French car companies already discussed.

Among these uncertainties, not only would the cars become more expensive but the profits of the companies will glide as well. The ultimate crunch, however, will be faced by the working class of France who are employed by these companies in the UK, owing to how they, simply, will not be needed anymore. This will not only result into negative implications for these companies but for the entire country, on the whole, as well.

Historically, Macron has proved to be more economics over politics, but the entire scenario might go topsy-turvy real fast, owing to how the entrance of the “people from Brussels” into a scenario can significantly impact the decisions and outcomes. For the sake of his working class, it is about time for Macron to do what’s in the best interest for France rather than being dictated by Brussels. If he doesn’t, then he can kiss the dream of an inspired and confident France, under his leadership, goodbye!

Driving Past the Everyday Scams on the Roads of France

French Police Car

Gone are the days, when driving in France was an enjoyable and trouble free experience. Not only is the French government bent on making life on the roads tougher, for the locals and foreigners alike, owing to the vast number of regulations (read: nuisances) that they are bringing onto the table; but the things are getting topsy-turvy owing to the rising scams on the roads of the various cities of France as well.

Recently, there has been a rise in the incidents involving motorists scammed and robbed, on the roads. There are a number of tactics that have been employed by the robbers, in this regard, including the side view mirror scam, which involves a scammer convincing a victim of the claim that they had damaged a side-view mirror on the scammers car and that they needed to be reimbursed for it, immediately. Regardless of how fruitful such a scam might have been for the scammers, none of the scams can live up to the hype and disgust created by the “cops turned robbers”. Recently, the people on the streets of France have had to deal with an organized gang that robs motorists, while being disguised as policemen. And to understand exactly how serious this threat is, the fact that France’s military had issued a warning on the issue, only a few months back, should be an indicator.

When you take it all into perspective, you have got to say that motorists are NOT safe on the roads of France. The French authorities, instead of exhausting all of their resources on measures that do little for the protection of the environment and more of a nuisance for the people, should start focusing on the eradication of such organized criminal activities on the roads of the country!

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4xtKFfIW9k

Why Oh Why Did Renault Need To Purchase Stakes in A French Car News Publisher?

Renault car

When you speak of an esteemed French car manufacturing company such as Renault, you would expect for the company to invest all of its resources into the development and manufacturing of vehicles, so that it might be able to something that is actually useful for humanity, on the whole. However, when you consider some of Renault’s activities in recent, it certainly does not appear to be the case.

Those who love reading juicy and unbiased news, on the French automotive industry, have run out of luck it seem, owing to how Renault has finally decided to take “unbiased” completely out of the proposition. The company has purchased a 40 percent stake in the Challenges Group, which is a French publishing company, known for the news that it delivers on the automotive industry of cars. This means that people of France will read what Renault will feed on the matters of French cars. So much for unbiased journalism!

The surprising part of it all is that Renault is known, all over the world, as one of the leading players in the international automotive industry. However, when you consider that the company had to stoop so low in order to contend with the fact that it is being left out of the competition by companies that are ACTUALLY serious about taking the automotive industry of the world forward, you cannot help but consider the crisis that Renault must be which propelled it into making such a move.

Renault needs to realize that the company will be better served by making investments in cars rather than news agencies, owing to how it is the cars that will ultimately bring in profits and not public sentiments. If a car manufacturer is able to put forward the best products in the market, purchasing a news agency should be the least of its concerns.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj6cnEeFr8c

Why the French Government Needs to Cut the Renault-Nissan Knot

Renault outlet

Everyone who is involved in the French automotive industry is aware of the surreal knot that is being tied between Renault and Nissan. When you involve Mitsubishi into the mix itself, considering how it is the third lover on the bed, the scenario appears to be a little too good for these companies. A manifestation of this fact lies in how the net profit of these three companies amounts to somewhere around 9.4 billion Euros, making the alliance the fourth strongest on the face of Mother Earth.

Regardless of how lucrative the alliance might have been for the companies in question, the fact remains that results are not, likely, to be same from the perspective of France, as a whole. When you get into the comparison of the companies, you realize that the net income per head generated by the employees of Renault is, almost, half of what is generated by the employees of Nissan. Consequently, the first order of business of the combined group would, obviously, be to stop some of the production lines in France. This will result into the loss of employment for a lot of people, owing to how the automotive production lines are responsible for the bread and butter of a large number of families in France.

The French government has got fifteen percent ownership share in Renault, meaning that it has got the veto power to stop such a catastrophe from happening. If such a  scenario is about to happen, therefore, the commoners of France would expect their government to stand up for their rights and interests, rather than looking to uphold some obscure economic principle relating to international trade. The French government has got an influence on the alliance, which is the reason why it has to ensure that things work out in favor of France!

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC-mkuqidOg

Peugeot CEO Finds the Glass to be a Lot More Than Half Full

Peugeot

When you think of the basic rules of business, it is a fact that businesses need to be realistic in their assumptions and action. If a business tends to be too optimistic, for instance, there is a high chance of it losing its way, considering how it will be prone to exuberant risk-taking. The management of a business, therefore, needs to put on a realistic lens, regardless of whether they are making a business decision or speaking of business related matters, in general.

The CEO of Peugeot, however, appears to be completely unaware of this basic quality of successful CEOs, owing to how he has been found to be a bit too optimistic in his latest remarks. The biggest shock came about in his statement about making the transition from diesel powered engines to the electric models. According to Jean-Philippe Imparato, the CEO of Peugeot, the company will make two versions of the same vehicle; one will be powered by diesel while the other will be electric. It would then be up to the customers to decide which model it is that they want, depending upon the relevant laws and preferences.

What he comfortably chose to ignore, however, was the cost that the company would have to bear in pulling off all of these shenanigans. The statement appears to be even more ridiculous when you consider how the European market for cars has been flattening over the past few years. Taking all of this into perspective, it appears to be nothing short of foolish for the CEO of Peugeot to expect such a strategy to work in the shrinking market. The basic purpose of a company is to make profits, but going by what the CEO wishes to do, Peugeot can expect to find itself running into a predicament soon enough!

The French Authorities Appear To Have A Bit Too Much Time at Their Disposal

French Flag

Gone are the days when governments used to always have an important matter to take care of. The French government, in particular, appears to have nothing important to do, whatsoever, which is why they are taking a keen interest in making people’s lives more miserable than they actually are, with their pointless shenanigans and useless measures of authority and control.

France has decided to ride the climate change bandwagon a bit too much, perhaps at the cost of the comfort of its own people. According to a new regulation, the vehicles in France will need to have a clean air sticker on them, all for the purpose of identifying what emissions they produce. The justification that the representatives have given for such a strange step lies in how they are willing to reduce harmful emissions. According to them, if, on a certain day, a location is at a higher risk of air pollution, vehicles will be denied entrance into the location based on the sticker that they might be carrying. The regulation was brought into effect in January 2018 and is currently applicable in Paris, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Lille, Lyon and Toulouse.

Failure to comply would result in the imposition of a heavy fine. What’s more startling is the fact that the regulations are even applicable on individuals who are nationals of other EU nations and are merely riding through France on a visit. When you take it all into perspective, the shenanigan appears to be nothing more than a stunt by the French government to prove that nobody cares about the environment more than them. They are actually right in their claim, if you think about it, for the other leading world governments take more pride in serving and protecting their people!

Time for France to Take a Stand against Germany…Yet Again!

Europe flags

We all know how the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump, has been throwing garbage on every country other than his own, right? For him, USA is all that matters in the world, while every other country has been busy in defrauding them for as long as he can remember. Trump, recently, accused the EU, which includes France, of unfair trade practices, including the charging of higher tariffs.

Regardless of how thick headed the current President of the United States might be, the fact remains that the country is, perhaps, the most important trading partner of the EU. The time requires for the European countries to be united in the cause, but Germany has, once again, decided to be a disappointment.

Germany has urged the EU to negotiate a new deal with the USA, the basic purpose of which will be reduce the tariffs on a number of goods, including cars. France, on the other hand, does not wish the EU to make any kind of concessions, whatsoever, owing to how the concessions will only serve to protect Germany’s export-led industry and economy while marring the interests of France and its automotive industry.

When you take into perspective, it is not difficult to realize that Germany is, once again, looking out for its own interest, at the expense of others—this time in the automotive sector. It is time for the French government to give priority to its economy, sovereignty and automotive industry, rather than politics and the country’s ties with the European Union. The country needs to make a stand for its stance on the matter, even if it means standing up against the likes of Germany. After all, France has done it successfully before as well, haven’t they?

French Cars to Be Inspected More Rigorously Soon

French car inspection

As if the lives of French citizens weren’t hard enough; authorities have recently decided to revolutionize the way in which cars are inspected in France. The new technical test will come into practice from May 20, 2018 and will require for the vehicles to be rigorously inspected. However, when you consider how the current requirements were already pretty rigorous, you have got to say that the new measures will do nothing but place another burden on the minds of vehicle owners in France.

There are a number of differences that the newer method of testing has got, as compared to the older one. For instance, the newer method will take considerably longer than the current process and will cost more as well. What this means is that the newer process will not only waste vehicle owners’ time, but force them to pay more to get their time wasted.

The new regulations are part of an initiative that is targeted towards making roads safer across Europe, owing to how it is believed that five people die across Europe everyday as a result of road accidents. However, the measures that have been put into place appear to be doing nothing more than blaming the vehicle drivers for all of the deaths and accidents that happen, when the deceased are at fault on a number of incidents also. When you take into perspective how the measures are being taken to reduce the number of these FIVE deaths every day, you have got to say that the purpose would have been better served if the focus had been on the education of pedestrians rather than adding to the worries of car owners and manufacturers alike!