Auto market: Another record for electric vehicles, with Tesla Model Y and Renault Twingo performing exceptionally well

In September, four out of ten registered vehicles were electric! The popularity of this type of vehicle has pushed the Tesla Model Y’s sales figures higher. While the R5 is performing well, the Twingo is making a strong debut in France.

The French automotive market had a successful start to the year. Sales increased by 11.6% in September, with 156,640 private cars registered. This growth is clearly driven by the surge in demand for electric vehicles amid rising fuel prices.

65,247 electric vehicles were registered last month, representing a 107.5% increase in just one year! More importantly, these cars now hold a record market share of 41.6% (compared to 38% in August). This makes them the leading type of vehicle, ahead of non-rechargeable hybrid gasoline cars (35.5%) and conventional gasoline vehicles (10.5%). In September, diesel vehicles accounted for only 1.5% of the market!

The surge in electric vehicles greatly benefits Tesla. Its Model Y continues to perform exceptionally well this year. In September, it once again topped sales charts by a large margin, with 8,183 units sold. The Renault 5 came in second with 5,224 registrations. While this is a solid result, the city car is clearly falling behind in terms of becoming the best-selling electric vehicle by 2026. From January to September, its total sales amounted to 31,998, while the Model Y had already sold 37,840 units.

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Renault can take solace in the strong sales of the Twingo, with 14,483 units already registered (4,992 in September). Although it falls far short of the Model Y, the Scénic is seeing a significant recovery in 2026, with sales up by 89% since the start of the year. In September, it ranked fifth with 2,738 registrations. It still holds a lead over its French rival, the Peugeot e-3008, which is also benefiting from current market conditions to see its sales rise by 71.9% in 2026.

Family electric vehicles are also very popular. The Skoda Elroq continues to be successful (1,457 registrations in September alone, 10,319 since the start of the year), while the Volkswagen ID.4, despite being in its later stages, is performing well (+169% in 2026).

Among the strong performances in September were the Kia EV2 (1,252 registrations), MG 4 Urban (834), and Ford Puma (670).

On the other hand, sales were sluggish for Mini Cooper (451), Ford Explorer (394), and Opel Corsa (187).

Models

September 2026

Cumulative 2026

Trend

1

Tesla Model Y

8,183

37,840

+ 141.5 %

2

Renault 5

5,224

31,998

+ 47.2 %

3

Renault Twingo

4,992

14,483

New model

4

Peugeot 208

3,274

14,230

+ 80.5 %

5

Renault Scénic

2,738

20,520

+ 89.1 %

6

Citroën C3

2,696

13,979

+ 20.9 %

7

Peugeot 3008

1,643

8,681

+ 71.9 %

8

Skoda Elroq

1,457

10,319

+ 114.4 %

9

Volkswagen ID.4

1 414

10 472

+ 169.1 %

10

Renault Mégane

1 254

10 552

+ 82.7 %