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The big surprise on the French car market in September 2022

French car market on the rise

In the first half of 2022, the French automotive market saw a drop in new car sales, due to a number of events, including the war in Ukraine, soaring fuel prices, rising electricity prices and semiconductor shortages.

In spite of this, electric vehicle manufacturers have been able to overcome this obstacle and continue to offer clean, innovative vehicles.

After fourteen months of consecutive decline,AAA Data reveals a rebound in new car sales in September 2022. But what's behind this upturn in sales? We'll find out in this article.

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What happened to the automotive market in September 2022?

As we mentioned in our introduction, AAA Data has published its press release, in which it states that the French new car market is pushing back on the gas pedal after fourteen months of consecutive decline. The press release notes an increase of 5.5% in September 2022i.e. 141,137 registrations in contrast to September 2021.

In France, most regions succeeded in increasing their sales: in 3ᵉ position, we have Normandywith a 16% increase in salesfollowed by Hauts-de-France with 18 and Corsica Corsica with a 64% increase.

What about electric vehicles?

You've probably noticed that electric models are taking up more and more space on our roads.

Electric vehicles are on the increase in France. This is due in particular to various government subsidies and the advantages of clean vehicles, such as free parking or the freedom to drive in the ZFE s for Crit'Air 0.)

By September 2022, nearly 22,500 electric passenger car registrationscompared with 20,316 combustion-powered cars. This means that had a 13% market sharein the first nine months of the year, with 140,848 sales.

These results show that France could well achieve its target of 0 sales of new combustion-powered vehicles by 2030even if the price of electric cars remains a barrier to purchase for many French men and women.

This clearly shows that French motorists are increasingly in favour of switching to clean cars..

When it comes to electric commercial vehiclesthe study found few registrations for electric models. Despite this, manufacturers are beginning to offer a wider range of electric models.

Which electric models are most popular with the French?

According to AAA Data, the French are most attracted to 2 body styles over the first 8 months of 2022: 

Among these 2 body styles, here are the top 10 best-selling electric cars for September 2022: 

  1. Renault Megane E-Tech : 2,897 registrations
  2. Tesla Model 3 : 2,170 registrations
  3. Peugeot e-208 2,129 registrations
  4. Renault Twingo E-Tech 1,387 registrations
  5. Fiat 500e 1,269 registrations
  6. Tesla Model Y : 1,261 registrations
  7. Renault Zoé E-Tech 1,117 registrations
  8. Peugeot e-2008 867 registrations
  9. Volkswagen ID.3 632 registrations

And if you're interested in buying an electric car, our experts at Beev experts can help you choose the one that's right for you. Don't hesitate to contact them.

Beev offers multi-brand 100% electric vehicles at the best prices, as well as recharging solutions.

And used cars?

On the French automotive market, used vehicles were down in September 2022, at -14.6, or 455,669 transactions.

In the case of used vehicles less than 5 years old, the crisis has become a little more acute. This is due to rising prices, which have driven some motorists away, and to inflation, which has intensified the situation in recent weeks.

In conclusion

With the results we've just seen, we can see that the automotive market is gradually returning to growth, especially where electric vehicles are concerned, which are beginning to take up more and more space on our roads. 

With the government's confirmation of the 100-euro-a-month social leasing scheme, this could be a further incentive for the French to adopt much greener travel habits and help improve the environment. 

Picture of Grace Nzuzi
Grace Nzuzi

Through my articles, I help you to better manage your energy transition. And I do this for professionals and private individuals alike.

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