France breaks another record: electric cars account for over 40% of sales, with the Tesla Model Y leading the way

The French automotive market delivered a record-breaking September for us. After several months during which electric cars had already been gaining ground, September presented an even more striking picture, with pure electric vehicles occupying an increasingly larger share among the best-selling models.

The registration of passenger cars increased by 11.6% in September, reaching 156,640 units. This market growth coincided with a strong rise in electric car registrations, which once again set a record share in France and now account for a proportion that would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago.

Specifically, 65,247 electric cars were registered in September, which is a 107.5% increase compared to the same month last year. To put this figure into perspective, Spain has around 100,000 electric cars registered...for the entire year. This means that in just one month, France registered 65% of all electric cars in Spain from January to September.

This resulted in the market share of pure electric vehicles (BEVs) reaching as high as 41.6%, making them once again the best-selling vehicle type in France that month. Behind them were plug-in hybrids at 35.5%, while non-hybrid gasoline vehicles accounted for 10.5%. As for diesel, once the market leader, it is on the verge of disappearing from sales with only 1.5% of the market share.

The change becomes even more evident when looking at the market’s evolution over the past few years. France is shifting from a landscape dominated by internal combustion engines to one where electric cars have taken the lead and are increasing their market share. This September record comes after another peak in August, when electric vehicles accounted for around 38% of the market.

Tesla Model Y and Renault Twingo, September’s Stars

This strong growth is having a direct impact on certain specific models. The Tesla Model Y has once again taken the lead in French registrations, not only among electric cars but across the entire market. In September it recorded 8,183 units, a particularly impressive figure given the fierce competition currently in France. Moreover, it not only leads the monthly sales for electric cars by capitalizing on the momentum at the end of the quarter but also remains the best-selling model for the whole year so far.

The Renault 5 came in second among electric vehicles, with 5,224 units registered during the month. The French model maintains a high sales pace, accumulating 31,998 units since January, although the Tesla Model Y has already taken the lead with 37,840 registrations. The gap between the two is now nearly 6,000 units, with three months left in the year.

The Model Y figures also warrant caution when analyzing Tesla’s monthly trends. The brand traditionally concentrates a significant portion of its registrations toward the end of each quarter, so September is usually a particularly strong month, while October or November may show very different performance. In fact, market analyses in France explicitly point to this quarterly concentration effect in deliveries.

If there’s one model that’s attracting special attention at Renault, it’s the Renault Twingo. This small electric vehicle saw 4,992 registrations in September, and by 2026 it has already accumulated 14,483 units, despite still being in the early stages of its market launch. Its rollout is further boosted by France’s social leasing program, which facilitates access to certain electric cars.

Renault can also boast about the performance of the Renault Scenic, which saw an 89% increase in sales during 2026. It recorded 2,738 registrations in September and ranked fifth among the best-selling electric cars. The Peugeot e-3008, one of its main competitors in the French market, is also gaining ground with an 71.9% increase in sales for the year.

All of this comes as the vehicle lineup is set to be updated, with the introduction of new Renault 5, Megane, and Scenic models, whose impact will be felt in the coming months.

Model

September 2026

Accumulated 2026

Trend

Tesla Model Y

8,183

37,840

+141.5%

Renault 5

5,224

31,998

+47.2%

Renault Twingo

4,992

14,483

New model

Peugeot 208

3,274

14,230

+80.5%

Renault Scénic

2,738

20,520

+89.1%

Citroën C3

2,696

13,979

+20.9%

Peugeot 3008

1,643

8,681

+71.9%

Skoda Elroq

1,457

10,319

+114.4%

Volkswagen ID.4

1,414

10,472

+169.1%

Renault Mégane

1,254

10,552

+82.7%

The good performance isn’t limited to Renault and Tesla models. Among family electric cars, the Skoda Elroq shows very positive growth with 1,457 units sold in September and 10,319 units sold overall for the year. The Volkswagen ID.4 also stands out; despite being in the final stage of its production cycle, it saw a 169.1% increase in registrations compared to the same period last year.

Other models also achieved impressive figures in September. The KIA EV2 reached 1,252 units, while the MG 4 Urban had 834, and the Ford Puma reached 670. On the other side are models such as the Mini Cooper with 451 units, the Ford Explorer with 394, or the Opel Corsa, which recorded 187 registrations.

The most striking aspect of September’s data is not only that electric cars surpassed 40% of the monthly market for the first time, but also that several models are growing at a very high pace simultaneously. The Tesla Model Y, Renault 5, and Renault Twingo represent three very different options, yet all are finding their place in a market where rising fuel prices are also affecting the operating costs of internal combustion engine alternatives.

In addition, many factories are working at full capacity to meet existing demand, with facilities like Renault’s in Douai and Tesla’s in Berlin expanding their workforce to increase production levels.

The result is that France is accelerating its transition to electric cars at full speed. September sets a new record and, more importantly, confirms that the high figure recorded in August was not an isolated incident. With over 387,000 electric cars registered in the first nine months of the year and an accumulated share already exceeding 31%, France’s market is entering the final quarter in a very different position from just one year ago.