Record, Record, Record, Record — Huge Record Month For Electric Car Sales In France (March Electric Car Sales Report)

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

Record Month 

France registered a record 5,402 plug-in cars in March, up 41% year over year (YoY). With all plug-in drivetrains working together (fully electric cars +40%, plug-in hybrids +45%), the plug-in market was pulled up to 10,892 units in 2018, up 17% YoY.

This record month allowed the 2018 PEV share to jump to 2%, also above last year’s result.

Looking at the March best sellers, the Zoe (#24 in the mainstream market) scored its best result since it landed in 2012, with the Renault BEV scoring 2,245 deliveries. The runner-up Nissan LEAF also scoring a personal best, 719 deliveries.

Underlining the March Madness this market had, the third-place BMW i3 also scored a record result, 319 deliveries, and the #4 Tesla Model S had a best ever result (162 deliveries).

In short, all of the four top sellers in March had record numbers. Not bad, not bad at all…

Model Sales  
1 Renault Zoe 2,245
2 Nissan LEAF 719
3 BMW i3 319
4 Tesla Model S 162
5 Mercedes GLC350e 133

In a market known for its stability, there was a lot to talk about. Two new nameplates joined the year-to-date top 20 last month. The Tesla Model S jumped all the way up to #11, while the Hyundai Ioniq Electric (127 units, a new record) reached #15.

Other models on the rise were the Mini Countryman PHEV and the Smart Fortwo ED, climbing one position each to #7 and #8, respectively.

Peugeot’s electric siblings had a positive month as well, with the iOn registering 98 units (its best so far this year) and the Partner Tepee EV earning 110 deliveries, the nameplate’s best result so far. It seems the French automaker discovered it is missing out from the hottest segment on the market (plug-ins, of course) and is throwing into the market whatever it has in the stable. Too bad what it has is a 600 9 year old badge-engineered mini car (iOn) and a van with windows (Partner Tepee EV) that could have its own sales niche if it wasn’t hampered by a small 22.5 kWh battery in a world where the direct competitors have 33 kWh (Renault Kangoo ZE) or even 40kWh (Nissan Evalia BEV) battery packs inside.

A 22.5 kWh battery in a van sounds soooo 2011…  

Below the top 20, there are a few notable mentions. The BMW 530e had a record result, with 56 registrations, while the Tesla Model X delivered 79 units, its second best result in France.

In the brand ranking, Renault (37%, up 4 percentage points) continues to be in the driver seat, followed at a distance by BMW and Nissan (both with 10%). Mercedes and Volvo then sit far below the podium, each with 5% share.

EV Model March YTD EV Market Share
1 Renault Zoe 2,245 4,033 37%
2 Nissan Leaf 719 1,073 10%
3 BMW i3 319 672 6%
4 Volvo XC60 PHEV 102 350 3%
5 Mercedes GLC350e 133 343 3%
6 Kia Soul EV 59 268 2%
7 Mini Countryman PHEV 68 248 2%
8 Smart Fortwo ED 77 247 2%
9 VW Passat GTE 60 243 2%
10 Volvo XC90 PHEV 105 235 2%
11 Tesla Model S 162 209 2%
12 BMW 225xe Active Tourer 50 202 2%
13 Peugeot iOn 98 195 2%
13 Peugeot Partner Tepee EV 110 195 2%
15 Hyundai Ioniq Electric 127 191 2%
16 Porsche Panamera PHEV 77 177 2%
17 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV 79 169 2%
18 Mercedes C350e 42 152 1%
19 BMW X5 xDrive40e 45 127 1%
20 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 83 126 1%
Others 642 1,437 13%
TOTAL 5,402 10,892 100%

Source: Avere France


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Latest CleanTechnica TV Video


Advertisement
 
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

José Pontes

Always interested in the auto industry, particularly in electric cars, Jose has been overviewed the sales evolution of plug-ins on the EV Sales blog, allowing him to gain an expert view on where EVs are right now and where they are headed in the future. The EV Sales blog has become a go-to source for people interested in electric car sales around the world. Extending that work and expertise, Jose is also market analyst on EV-Volumes and works with the European Alternative Fuels Observatory on EV sales matters.

José Pontes has 469 posts and counting. See all posts by José Pontes