Europe snubs French electric cars

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

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.

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.