The month of September was very flourishing for electric cars in France, with a sensational debut of the affordable Citroën ë-C3. It almost succeeded in dethroning the Tesla Model Y. But this ranking actually hides a delicate situation for Citroën, with Renault making a strong comeback, thanks to the electric R5 and Scenic.
Every month, the AAA Data firm publishes sales figures for new cars in France. In September 2024, electric cars represented 20% of the market share. A record for France as highlighted Numerama.
The market is, however, in decline: – 11% for new cars compared to last year, and -6% for electric cars. We see that the latter are therefore doing better than the rest of the market.
Citroën makes a sensational entrance with the ë-C3
In detail, Citroën managed to make a resounding entry into the top 10 electric cars sold in September 2024. Its secret weapon: the Citroën ë-C3, sold for less than 20,000 euros thanks to the ecological bonus. Above all, she was eligible for social leasing. The delivery deadline was September 30, 2024 to benefit from it. And Citroën managed to deliver more than 3,600 units in just a few days, since production had only started in the Czech factory in mid-September.
Unfortunately, and as detailed Numerama in another article, there are still more than 2,000 customers to deliver. Citroën has undertaken to cover social leasing aid, since the State will not pay it to vehicles delivered after September 30. A shortfall estimated at more than 10 million euros for Stellantis.
Citroën, however, failed to dethrone Tesla, which remains leader in the ranking, with nearly 4,600 Model Ys delivered during the month. But that’s not enough overall, since January, to overtake Peugeot with its e-208 which is still selling like hotcakes.
Renault hits hard
But the threat from Renault is close, since the French company is hitting hard with its trio Scénic, R5 (a thousand copies of which seem to be planned for dealers) and Mégane E-Tech electric. The Twingo is not far away either, supported since the start of the year by social leasing.
The new electric Mini also enters the top 10 while we are gradually witnessing the fall of the electric Fiat 500. Sales are doing poorly and have forced Fiat to pause production of the small electric city car for many weeks. We have just learned that this break had been extended until at least the beginning of November.
The BMW iX1 is also selling well, both in September and since the start of the year. But that is not enough for it to succeed in doing better than the Tesla Model 3, whose deliveries are made according to the arrivals of cargo ships from Shanghai.
Volkswagen prepares to return to the race
The MG4 does not appear in the top 10 for the month of September, and we imagine that the increase in customs duties will do it even more harm in the months to come. The Volkswagen ID.3 has been in last place in the ranking since the start of the year, but there is a good chance that sales will take off in a few weeks. Indeed, the sharp drop in price should arrive in France, enough to offer it for less than 30,000 euros. The MG4 could take on even more water.
Electric car sales in France in September 2024
| Position | Model | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TESLA – MODEL Y | 4 591 |
| 2 | CITROEN – E-C3 | 3 626 |
| 3 | PEUGEOT – 208 | 1 420 |
| 4 | RENAULT – SCENIC | 1 264 |
| 5 | RENAULT – RENAULT 5 | 1 101 |
| 6 | MINI – MINI | 1 091 |
| 7 | RENAULT – MEGANE-E | 929 |
| 8 | FIAT – 500 | 898 |
| 9 | B.M.W. – IX1 | 774 |
| 10 | TESLA – MODEL 3 | 758 |
| 11 | SKODA – ENYAQ | 706 |
| 12 | VOLKSWAGEN – ID.3 | 602 |
| 13 | RENAULT – TWINGO | 573 |
| 14 | VOLKSWAGEN – ID.4 | 558 |
| 15 | PEUGEOT – 3008 | 510 |
| 16 | M.G. – MG4 | 444 |
| 17 | CUPRA – BORN | 434 |
| 18 | PEUGEOT – 2008 | 376 |
| 19 | VOLVO – EX30 | 370 |
| 20 | JEEP – AVENGER | 352 |
Electric car sales in France from January to September 2024
| Position | Model | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PEUGEOT – 208 | 20 846 |
| 2 | TESLA – MODEL Y | 19 410 |
| 3 | RENAULT – MEGANE-E | 14 259 |
| 4 | FIAT – 500 | 12 653 |
| 5 | RENAULT – TWINGO | 10 609 |
| 6 | TESLA – MODEL 3 | 9 624 |
| 7 | PEUGEOT – 2008 | 7 982 |
| 8 | B.M.W. – IX1 | 6 664 |
| 9 | M.G. – MG4 | 6 468 |
| 10 | VOLKSWAGEN – ID.3 | 5 154 |
| 11 | CITROËN – E-C4 | 5 062 |
| 12 | OPEL – CORSA | 5 038 |
| 13 | RENAULT – SCENIC | 5 018 |
| 14 | SKODA – ENYAQ | 4 482 |
| 15 | VOLVO – EX30 | 4 442 |
| 16 | CITROEN – E-C3 | 4 119 |
| 17 | MINI – MINI | 3 932 |
| 18 | JEEP – AVENGER | 3 856 |
| 19 | FIAT – 600 | 3 681 |
| 20 | HYUNDAI – KONA | 3 618 |
