As was to be expected, sales of electric cars fell in France in 2024. Certainly, with 290,000 registrations compared to 298,000 in 2023, a drop of around 2.6%, we could almost agree on a slight decline. But that would be forgetting the huge boost given to electric vehicles at the start of the year by the French State with the introduction of social leasing. Three months of strong subsidies with the promise of making electric cars accessible to as many people as possible, including households who normally could not afford them. After an extension of a few weeks compared to the time initially planned, 50,000 cars were ultimately affected by this system. Impossible, to remain honest, to consider that they would not have been sold without social leasing and therefore to remove them from the annual balance sheet. However, without this little “tax shoot”, electric sales would have fallen even more significantly..
A Tesla at the top of electric sales in France
In the midst of this decline, the Tesla Model Y holds its head high. It found significantly fewer buyers than in 2023 (-23%), but by approaching 30,000 units, it retains the title of best-selling electric car in France. The performance of this American made in Germany is all the more correct as it was not entitled to social leasing. Behind, the podium is completed by the Peugeot E-208 and Renault Mégane E-Tech. The lioness climbs 3 places compared to 2023 while the Mégane, despite falling sales, also moves from 7th to 3rd place, followed by the electric Fiat 500. The Italian, although in the target of buyers eligible for social leasing with a small battery version at a well-priced price, suffered a big setback this year. To the point that Fiat even decided to re-implement the hybrid mechanics of the old 500 even though this transplant was never part of the plans during the launch of the new generation in 2020.
Last dance for the Twingo
Another disappointment, more predictable this time: that of the Tesla Model 3, whose sales collapsed in 2024 (11,600 units, -53%). The fault, in particular, of the new CO2 bonuses implemented last yearwhich calculates the overall carbon footprint of an electric car from its manufacture to its sale and most of the time excludes Asian models, penalized by a very poor CO2 balance due to transport. The Model 3, manufactured in China, can therefore no longer claim the bonus in France, unlike the Model Y manufactured in Berlin.
Behind, the Renault Twingo (11,300 examples) made a final breakthrough in the ranking for several years. Indeed, this jump in 2024 thanks to social leasing will not take place in 2025 since despite the renewal of the tax system – the contours of which we are still awaiting – the little Renault has not been brought into compliance with European standards of GSR2 safety mandatory on all new cars since July 7. It therefore definitively left the production linesbefore a potential return to all-electric, but not before 2026.
The new electric Renault 5 arrives
Finally, the all-new Renault 5, marketed only at the end of autumn, is not that far from its ex-sister in the catalog, with almost 10,000 sales. Of course, Renault had to equip its network with all the demonstration vehicles, but the R5 is still off to a flying start. It is also ahead of the electric Scénic, the Peugeot 2008 and the BMW iX1, all three of which fit into a pocket handkerchief and close this top 10 of 2024.
The ranking of the 10 best-selling electric cars in France in 2024
- Tesla Model Y : 28 576 ex.
- Peugeot E-208: 23,602 ex.
- Renault Mégane E-Tech: 16,800 ex.
- Fiat 500 electric: 16,153 examples.
- Tesla Model 3 : 11 613 ex.
- Renault Twingo : 11 299 ex.
- Renault 5 : 9 973 ex.
- Renault Scénic: 8,953 ex.
- Peugeot E-2008: 8,944 ex.
- BMW iX1 : 8 940 ex.
