The French electric car sales market in August 2025 came as a surprise, despite a traditionally quiet month. According to AAA Data for September 1st, registrations reached 16,992 units, up 29% on August 2024. The market share of electric cars is approaching that of petrol cars, at 19.3%.
Renault 5, undisputed queen
The Renault 5 e-Tech confirmed its leadership with 1,412 units sold. It is well ahead of the Tesla Model Y, which sold just 957 units. The Renault Scénic and Dacia Spring are also benefiting from the dynamism of corporate fleets. Since January, the R5 has sold a cumulative total of 19,197 units, more than 8,000 ahead of the Model Y.
Tesla, second but still behind
Tesla retains second place in the rankings, but its figures are disappointing. The Model Y is down 54% on last year, despite a spurt of deliveries in June. The absence of bonuses in July and August partly explains this slowdown. Tesla Model 3 is keeping a low profile, while sales of the Model S and Model X are virtually non-existent.
Stellantis still in trouble
Only the Peugeot e-208 held out in the top 10 with 463 sales. The Citroën ë-C3 fell to 11ᵉ place, penalised by reliability problems. The Group’s other models are struggling to recover past volumes, pending the arrival of social leasing at the end of September.
Fleets underpin the market
BMW’s iX1, Audi’s Q6 and other models aimed at business customers are performing strongly. Fleets account for a large proportion of electric car sales, while private customers are still cautious. The overall new car market grew by a slight 2%, but volumes were still lower than in July.
An uneven electricity transition
The increase in electric sales is also reflected in the second-hand market and in the national fleet. Some regions, such as Corsica and Ile-de-France, have more than 4% electric cars. Elsewhere, penetration remains low, but the trend towards energy transition is continuing.
