electric carts from Lot-et-Garonnais Goupil are popular abroad

With 800 to 1,000 vehicles sold each year, France, certainly, “is a stable and mature market” for Goupil. “It is in exports that we have our biggest source of growth,” considers Philippe Hugue, general director of the company which designs and manufactures 100% electric carts and utility vehicles, widely used by municipalities. The company set out to conquer foreign markets in 2008, more than ten years after its creation in Bourran, in the Lot valley. We had to wait until the first heavy quadricycles, the mini-cars, were approved for the road on a European scale.

Patience paid off. Today, 70% of turnover – 115 million euros in 2023 – is achieved in the thirty countries where the silver fox, the brand's emblem, has become known. “But the market is not homogeneous,” indicates Philippe Hugue. “Depending on the country, we are not going to target the same markets, the same applications, and we are not going to face the same competitors. »

Question of culture

In Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy), where Goupil began its export adventures, “a culture of small vehicles in historic city centers” allowed for natural acclimatization. This zone represents 40% of volumes sold outside France. On the other hand, in Scandinavia, “we are starting from further afield, we have to change mentalities,” concedes the general director. Ditto in Central Europe, “where, culturally, we are trying to replace thermal trucks”.

A separate case, the United Kingdom: “The English have a culture of small vehicles such as Ford Transit or Renaut Kangoo, people are used to using their vehicle to do work, but also to get home. » A use for which Goupil carts are not designed. Adapting the future model, which should be ready within a year and a half, to the expectations of each country – air conditioning, resistance to extreme cold – will be an opportunity “to redouble our efforts on external growth”.

70% of Goupil's turnover is generated in the thirty countries where the silver fox, the brand's emblem, has become known

Made in France

To “pass the milestone of 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles within five years”, the company intends to concentrate on “high potential” countries like Germany, where Goupil has made its mark despite the power of the sector automobile. Across the Rhine, the company generates its figures in several segments: tourism (30%) and service companies which revolve around industrial sites, where a small vehicle finds great use. “The proof is that we even sold to Volkswagen. »

At “Deutsche Qualität”, Goupil offers an alternative rich in two decades of experience in electric vehicles and a “Made in France” label, obtained for its G4 range in September 2024. A certification that allows it to stand out from rivals Asian markets and their unbeatable prices. “For a standard van, we will be more expensive,” judges Philippe Hugue, “but if you need a skip, a container lift, watering, we will be in a much better position. You buy an entire ecosystem with integrated financing ideas, traveling technicians and an entire design office behind it. »