PARIS—New car registrations in France are on track to rise 10 percent this year as a cash-for-clunkers plan designed to promote sales of less-polluting vehicles helped lift the industry to a new record, France's industry minister said Monday.
New car registrations will reach 2.27 million this year, the best result since 1990, French Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said in a statement.
Estrosi said the increase "clearly separated" France from the rest of the European car market, which is set to finish the year on a flat pace.
France introduced the plan in 2008 as part of new environmental measures, offering French car buyers a euro1,000 (US$1,440) bonus when buying a new car. That helped lift sales of carmakers
The bonus is scheduled to come down to euro700 in the first half of 2010 and euro500 in the second half.
