A car containing gas cylinders was found near Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Saturday night, a French police official said, reports Sky News.
The owner of the Peugeot 607 was arrested and is on a watchlist of people suspected of religious radicalism, the official said.
Another man is reported to have been detained by police.
The police official said that it is believed the owner of the car "may have been trying to carry out a test-run."
French police said that the car had no registration plates and it was found with its hazard lights flashing.
The vehicle contained seven gas cylinders, one of which was empty and placed on the front passenger seat.
There was no detonating device present, an official added.
Le Parisien reports that a book written in Arabic was found at the scene.
The security alert comes after a warning from the head of the French domestic intelligence service, Calvar Patrick, that Islamic State could use booby-trapped vehicles to attack France.