Electric vehicle registrations: a surprising leader in October
With 149,340 new passenger car registrations, France’s automotive market grew by 7% in October. This positive outcome is largely attributed to electric vehicles, whose sales continue to soar. 61,958 electric vehicles were put on the road in October, accounting for 41% of the market share compared to 24% a year earlier. Amid soaring fuel prices, the significant shift in the automotive energy mix is accelerating rapidly. However, the rankings of electric vehicle registrations revealed some surprises in October. Driven by social leasing programs, the Renault Twingo topped the list, just ahead of the R5. Along with Renault’s models, Peugeot’s strong performance highlights the success of French brands. Conversely, the Tesla Model Y, which was the undisputed leader in recent months, has dropped to eighth place in the rankings.
The Twingo takes the top spot in vehicle registrations
In October, the Renault Twingo surprised everyone by taking the lead in the rankings for electric vehicle registrations. This was just a few months after its arrival on the French automotive market. With 4,747 units sold, it narrowly surpassed the Renault 5 (4,666 registrations). The brand’s all-electric city car benefited greatly from the social leasing program. In addition to this impressive double success, Renault had two other models in the Top 10. The Scénic ranked fourth with 3,037 registrations, continuing its strong performance, especially among corporate fleets. Another pleasant surprise was the Renault 4, which finished seventh with 1,786 units sold. After a modest start, it is beginning to find its audience, particularly thanks to the introduction of the Plein Sud version.
A Good Month for Peugeot
While remaining behind Renault, Peugeot had a strong October with its electric vehicles. The lion brand had three of its models in the top 10 for new registrations. The Peugeot E-208 even made it to third place with 3,221 units registered. Although it didn’t achieve the same success as the Scénic, the Peugeot E-3008 ranked sixth with 1,875 registrations. Finally, the Peugeot E-2008 closed out the top 10 with 1,412 units. Like the E-208, this model eligible for social leasing benefited from deliveries tied to this program in October. Citroën, the other French brand in the Stellantis group, also took advantage of this program. The Citroën ë-C3 finished fifth in the electric vehicle registration rankings with 2,736 registrations.
A Vent Gap for the Model Y
Last August, the Tesla Model Y regained the lead in the rankings for electric vehicle registrations. In September, it even outperformed all competitors with an impressive 8,183 registrations, placing it at the top of the rankings across all vehicle types. In October, however, the Model Y fell far short of that success, ending up in eighth place with only 1,748 units registered. It seems the American brand is returning to its pattern of uneven delivery volumes, often low at the start of the quarter. Nevertheless, the Model Y maintains a comfortable lead over the R5 for the entire year (39,588 registrations compared to 36,664). Notably, the Tesla Model 3 is no longer even in the top 20 for registrations in October. It finishes in 27th place with 662 registrations.
The Kia EV2 proves its potential
In the rest of the rankings, the Kia EV2 comes in ninth with 1,506 units delivered. This urban SUV from the Korean brand continues to demonstrate its potential and strong performance since its launch. It also benefits from the positive impact of social leasing programs. Another Korean model eligible for these programs, the Hyundai Kona, also performs well in October, finishing in twelfth place with 1,172 registrations. In contrast, Volkswagen Group models, which are not eligible for social leasing this year, suffer as a result. The Skoda Elroq and Volkswagen ID.4, which were in the Top 10 in September, are no longer included in October’s rankings. The Skoda Elroq ranks only thirteenth with 1,067 units, while the ID.4 drops to twenty-fourth place with 757 units. BMW fares better with the iX1, which finishes just outside the Top 10 in eleventh place with 1,412 units delivered.