France ended August with annual cumulative sales of 174,630 electric vehicles, accounting for 15.4% of total sales in this period.
Furthermore, during the eighth month of the year, 19,657 EVs were registered.
Hybrids reached a total of 365,897 units annually, representing 32.3% of the total.
Out of that number, 36,691 were sold in August.
Breaking down the technology, conventional hybrids comprised 156,913 units sold (13.9%), mild hybrids accounted for 108,231 (9.6%), and plug-in hybrids totaled 100,753 (8.9%).
It’s worth noting that in 2022, electric vehicles reached 106,156 registrations, reflecting nearly a 50% growth compared to the previous year.
The cumulative sales data show a total of more than 1,365,926 electric units sold in France to date.
Regarding market growth, Clément Molizon, General Delegate of Avere-France, said: “After the peak at the end of June, the French automotive market confirms its growth in July compared to 2022, but also compared to 2021.”
The association explains that it’s necessary to consider the participation of “non-automotive administrations and companies” in these figures.
This refers to the fact that more than of buyers were legal entities in July, compared to the usual 40%.
Molizon describes this situation as “a discovery” and “a positive sign for the future used vehicle market for electric vehicles.”
Furthermore, he identifies that while sales may be affected by so-called “end-of-quarter phenomena,” registrations continue to increase year after year.
What were the best-selling EVs in France in August?
The balance of EVs in August (15.4%) showed an increase compared to July (13%).
However, it represented a decline when considering the percentages from May (16%) and June (17%).
In July, the Dacia Spring dethroned the Tesla Model Y to take the lead in the electric car rankings for July, with 2,127 units delivered.
The Model Y dropped to second place with 1,631 sales, though it still holds the top spot in the year-to-date totals with a total of 19,372 vehicles sold so far.
When adding other models like the Model 3, Elon Musk’s automaker has a total of 29,897 sales in the year.
Meanwhile, the Spring has 17,210 sales in its tally for 2023.
These two models are competing for the top spot in the light passenger vehicle segment and are also vying for their place in the French market.
Both models are manufactured in China, a country that does not encourage imports with eco-bonuses due to their lack of a low carbon footprint in their production.
Regarding this, Tesla is considering moving Model Y production to its factory in Germany.
Additionally, French authorities are seeking to attract groups like Stellantis to invest in the country.
The podium for July is completed by the Fiat 500. So far, 1,273 units have been sold, which is 35% more than in July 2022.
Next is the Peugeot e-208, with 1,185 registrations, a 14% decrease.
Below them are the M.G. MG4 with 1,083 sales, the Tesla Model 3 with 1,048 registrations, and the Renault Megane-E with 998 sales and a 48% decline.
The last three on the list are the Mini Mini with 621 registrations, the Renault Twingo with 525, and the Kia Niro with 44.
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