Renault, the king of electric cars in France

Given the financial and human efforts made by Renault for more than ten years for the electric car, it was logical that it would pay off sooner or later. The manufacturer, which is the only one to produce an electric city car on French soil, saw its sales significantly increase in 2024 to the point of becoming the most represented in the Top 10. Certainly, the best seller remains the Tesla Model Y but the American SUV is logically losing ground and without any real novelty in the short term, it could well disappear from the top places by 2025. While waiting for the famous “Juniper” at Tesla, Renault is advancing its pawns: Scénic, R4, R5 and soon restyled Mégane and especially Twingo. The strategy pays off, proof in figures.

Renault well represented

Renault 5 registrations continued to increase considerably in December to the point of making the R5 one of the best electric sellers with only 2 months of service. Obviously, regarding the launch, we will be careful not to draw too hasty conclusions but the start is strong for the 5, which will soon be entitled to a “Five” version under €25,000 excluding bonus. And to drive the point home, we will have to wait for the arrival of this Twingo, probably selling for around €20,000. A sum that Renault initially suggested for the R5, but the manufacturer quickly realized that it would be impossible to offer a B segment electric car at this price and produced in France.

If Renault is going strong, let us also salute the performance of the Peugeot e-208 whichdespite its older age, continues to sell very well. It is now hot on the heels of the Model Y but 2025 will be more difficult for the lioness who could have the spotlight stolen by the R5, slightly cheaper if we consider the entire range.

A BMW in the Top 10

This had probably never happened: a BMW in a Top 10 sales list in France. And yet this is what happened last year with an iX1 in 10th place in electric car sales. 8,940 copies were sold, symbolizing the success of this model in Europe with, it is true, a price judiciously placed below the bonus ceiling.

However, these models did not experience the fate of the iX1. Several electric cars have taken the plunge in 2024, notably among the Koreans: Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro and EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, the drops sometimes go up to – 55% for the Ioniq 5 which only found a little more than 800 customers in 2024. That’s less than an electric Porsche Macan! The Tesla Model 3 also fell sharply (-52.7%), a sign that the trend is more than ever towards SUVs, including electric ones.

Finally, let’s not forget the impact of social leasing which will have significantly distorted the game this year since models like the Peugeot e-2008, the Jeep Avenger and the Twingo have largely benefited from the system. The result would probably have been very different without leasing, which will not return until the second half of 2025. The first half will therefore be very instructive on the real forces present in France…