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