Which electric cars are popular in France (and which are not)
The sales of purely electric cars are down by over a third, with data offering insights into the type of EVs that are currently the most popular
Hybrids that use both a combustion and electric engine are most popular in France
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Registrations (sales) of electric cars are falling in France, with a drop of 33% in August year-on-year.
The market share for EVs fell to 15% (down from 18% in August 2023), according to Auto Infos.
The change (in August 2024 vs August 2023) did vary dependent on brand:
Tesla Model Y: Dropped 53%
Dacia Spring: Dropped 93%
Renault EVs (Scenic V and Clio V): Increased 13%
BMW EVs (X1): Increased 29%
Car sales falling overall
Electric car registrations were not the only metric to fall in August; the French car market overall saw 85,977 new registrations last month, a drop of 24.3% compared to the same month last year (2023).
Read also: Electric cars: charging at French motorway services 'too expensive'
Hybrids more popular
Hybrid vehicles which use a mixture of petrol and electricity for fuel, have historically been more popular than purely electric vehicles in France.
Sales have been growing in recent years, and are now stabilising. Hybrids now account for 43% of the market, 11 percentage points more than in August 2023.
Read also: Explained: Electric vehicle grants, maintenance and charging in France
Read also: Buying an electric car in France: how government aid is changing
Drivers appear to be choosing cars that have electric capabilities along with combustion engines, however, rather than prioritising electric rechargeable vehicles.
MHEV (mild hybrid electric vehicle; a combustion engine supported by electric battery, not chargeable) sales are up 21%
HEV and non-rechargeable hybrids (HEV, like MHEV but with a larger battery) sales are up 7%
These types account for 15% and 20% of the market respectively.
However, sales of PHEVs (plug-in, rechargeable hybrids) fell by 35%, and make up just 7% of the market.
The most popular EVs in August 2024 overall
Sale units in France for August 2024 were as follows, by brand and type of EV (data from AAA Data):
Most popular in the BEV (electric battery only) category: Tesla Model Y (2,096 units)
Most popular in the HEV category (electric battery charged by combustion engine): Toyota Yaris (2,190 units)
Most popular in the MHEV category (combustion supported by electric): Peugeot 3008 III (1,609 units)
Most popular in the PHEV (plug-in electric battery and combustion engine) category: BMW X1 (420 units)
