The French plug-in electric passenger car market scored 5,644 registrations in December (+18% YoY), a new all-time record, and the result could have been if it weren’t for the dismal results of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which were down 21%, their sharpest drop since 2016.
CleanTechnica has had the lucky opportunity to review a freakin’ ton of electric vehicles this past year, and many more in previous years. In the article below, you can find links to most of the reviews as well as short snippets about the vehicles (and a few other products).
The French plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) passenger car market scored 4,988 registrations in November (+71% year over year, or YoY). All-electric models jumped 119%, their highest growth rate in over 2 years, while plug-in hybrids recovered from the post-NEDC hangover (+11%).
The French plug-in electric passenger car market registered 3,888 registrations in October, with all-electric models growing fast (+60%), while plug-in hybrids remained in a post-NEDC hangover (down 2%) — year to date (YTD), though, PHEVs are still jumping 35% year over year (YoY).
DS Automobiles is taking a step into the present with a new commitment to the ever-ambiguous fully ‘electrified’ lineup by 2025. DS Automobiles’ CEO Yves Bonnefort took to Twitter to reinforce the company’s push into electric vehicles from the Paris Auto Show, where the company unveiled its updated plug-in hybrid DS 7 Crossback E-Tense and fully electric DS 3 CUV with an estimated 186 miles of range.
The Groupe PSA, which includes Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, and Vauxhall, has had its hands full after acquiring Opel and Vauxhall. The transition hasn’t been as smooth as expected and now the company is facing legacy emission problems after a fiery French newspaper revelation.
The Paris Motor Show, “Mondial de Paris,” started a day early with a pre-show symposium for a select public: “Tomorrow in Motion.” Even a few journalists were invited, yours truly not among them. But the whole 5 hour happening was live on YouTube. Arriving early in the hotel near Paris and with pencil and paper in hand, the CleanTechnica delegation was ready for it. As a French organized mondial event, half of the presentations were in French. That means that I have no notion what they were about.
There were two cars that stole the show and competed for the most desirable automobile at the Mondial de l’Auto 2018 à Paris.
Those were the Hyundai Le Fil Rouge — Poetry in Motion, pure elegance — and the retro Peugeot e-Legend, offspring of the 504 Coupe from Pininfarina and a wild night with the Ford Mustang (raw power ready to explode).
The French plug-in passenger car market had 3,799 registrations in September, with all-electric models continuing to grow (+10%) while plug-in hybrids were in a post-NEDC hangover (down 9%), something that was expected. For the year through September, the country had 43% year over year (YoY) growth.
Legacy automakers have been hyping a future where they’ll finally electrify their fleet. Now, however, it appears they’re a bit reticent to do so. Volkswagen’s CEO, Herbert Diess, recently said, “The burden for our company, such as the cost of bringing to market electric cars, will be higher than expected. … This is particularly so since some of our competitors have been making more progress.”
