Europe snubs French electric cars

While the electric car is an issue in and in Europe, the sales figures reveal a paradox: our national manufacturers, stars in their territory, are struggling to attract the rest of Europe.

Renault 5 E-Tech // Source : Frandroid

The data from January to September 2024 are clear: despite a very complicated first half, the Tesla Model Y dominates the European market with 155,219 units sold (or rather registered to be more exact), followed by the Model 3 with 85,954 sales. . You have to go down to 16th position to find the first French one, the Peugeot e-208, with 30,159 units.

Even more striking: of these 30,159 e-208s sold in Europe, 20,846 were sold in France, or nearly 70% of total registrations. A concentration which reveals a worrying dependence on the domestic market.

Europe vs France between January and September 2024

Rang Top 20 Europe Sales Top 20 France Sales
1 Tesla Model Y 155219 Peugeot e-208 20846
2 Tesla Model 3 85954 Tesla Model Y 19410
3 Volvo EX30 61210 Renault Megane-E 14259
4 Audi Q4 e-tron 51400 Fiat 500 12653
5 Skoda Enyaq 50198 Renault Twingo 10609
6 VW ID.4 45282 Tesla Model 3 9624
7 MG 4 42890 Peugeot 2008 7982
8 VW ID.3 41233 BMW iX1 6664
9 Volvo XC60 PHEV 40894 MG 4 6468
10 BMW iX1 38726 VW ID.3 5154
11 BMW i4 34628 Citroen ë-C4 5062
12 Volvo EX/XC40 33537 Opel Corsa-e 5038
13 Ford Kuga PHEV 33444 Renault Scenic 5018
14 Be Niro 30689 Skoda Enyaq 4482
15 Mercedes GLC PHEV 30162 Volvo EX30 4442
16 Peugeot e-208 30159 Citroën ë-C3 4119
17 Mercedes EQA 30120 Mini Cooper SE 3932
18 Cupra Born 28985 Jeep Avenger 3856
19 Hyundai Kona EV 27455 Fiat 600e 3681
20 BMW X1 PHEV 27242 Hyundai Kona EV 3618

The French market presents a radically different face. The Peugeot e-208 sits at the top of sales with 20,846 units, ahead of the Tesla Model Y (19,410) and the Renault Mégane E-Tech (14,259). An automotive patriotism that clearly does not cross borders.

Model Sales Europe Sales France % France/Europe
Tesla Model Y 155 219 19 410 12,5 %
Tesla Model 3 85 954 9 624 11,2 %
Peugeot e-208 30 159 20 846 69,1 %
Renault Mégane E-Tech < 30 000* 14 259 > 47 %*
MG4 42 890 6 468 15,1 %
Fiat 500e < 30 000* 12 653 > 42%*

The figures are relentless: Tesla crushes the competition in Europe with 241,173 combined sales for its Model Y and Model 3, almost 8 times more than the best French company, the Peugeot e-208 and its 30,159 units. Even more revealing: when Tesla sells its cars uniformly on the continent, French manufacturers remain prisoners of their national market. The e-208 is the perfect example: 70% of its European sales are made in France.

This concentration on the domestic market reveals two weaknesses. First, an inability to attract other European markets, potentially linked to too “Franco-French” product positioning.

Even more worrying: the gap is widening in the premium segment. When Audi places its Q4 e-tron in 4th place in Europe with 51,400 sales, no French high-end electric model appears in the top 20. The DS 3 E-Tense and the Renault Mégane E-Tech struggle to exist in the face of with German references.

DS 3 E-Tense // Source: Marie Lizak for Frandroid

The real challenge lies in economies of scale. By concentrating their sales on a single market, French manufacturers deprive themselves of the volumes necessary to negotiate the best prices with battery suppliers, for example.

A competitive disadvantage which affects sales prices and creates a vicious circle: higher prices limit sales, which limit economies of scale, which keep prices high, etc.

Will the arrival of the electric Renault 5 and the small Citroën ë-C3 be enough to reverse the trend? These models will absolutely have to hit the mark beyond French borders. Because the reality is brutal: in an electric market which already represents more than 20% of new vehicle sales, remaining confined to the French market is simply not a viable option in the long term.


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