Drop in passenger car sales persists in France, while electric vehicles struggle to win over consumers

In the French automotive market, September 2025 saw a decline in overall vehicle registrations, with a decrease of 11.79% compared to the same month last year. The total number of registrations for passenger cars, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles amounted to 166,938 units.

Renault remained the leading car brand in France, with 23,951 units registered in September, though this represented a decrease of 4.38% compared to the same month last year. Volkswagen followed closely behind, selling nearly 11,000 cars in France during September, marking an increase of nearly 13% year-on-year. Volkswagen's strong performance in the French market has given it a market share of over 7%.

Peugeot held the second spot among French customers, with 19,363 registrations in September, equating to a market share of 13.98%. However, Peugeot has lost more than 4% of its business over the course of the current year.

Dacia, which previously held a strong position in France, dropped to fourth place in the most popular brands. The sale of passenger cars and SUVs in France in September decreased by more than 11% compared to the same month last year, and this trend seems to have affected Dacia's performance.

Sales of light commercial vehicles under 5 tonnes in France fell by 15.20% compared to the same month last year. However, the year-to-date figure for light commercial vehicles in France shows a rise of over 5.2%.

The market for electric and hybrid vehicles in France has shown mixed trends recently. Although overall new car registrations in France declined slightly by 4.3% through July 2025, electric cars grew by 14.8% in July alone. The total market share of electric cars since January reached 15.6%, still behind targets, while hybrids grew to a 34.7% share, making them the most popular drivetrain.

Sales of fully electric car brands continue to struggle to convince French customers, with Tesla registering just over 5,435 cars in September, a decline of more than 2% compared to last year's figures. Polestar, the electrified brand linked to Volvo, sold only one car in France last month.

Brands within the Volkswagen group, such as Seat, have seen growth in the French market. Seat experienced a 50% increase in car registrations in September compared to the same month last year, with 1,683 cars registered.

The French Automotive Manufacturers' Committee (CCFA) provided the data for the number of registrations. The number of passenger cars and SUVs sold in France in September was 139,004 units. The year-to-date registrations for Renault decreased by 1.55% to 203,528 units, and the year-to-date figures for registrations of passenger cars and SUVs in France fell by 1.76% as of August, down to 1,265,905 units.

In the ever-evolving automotive landscape, these trends highlight the challenges and opportunities faced by manufacturers in the French market. As the industry continues to adapt to changing consumer preferences and technological advancements, it will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the coming months.