Electrified cars overtake petrol models in French Q1 sales

Paris, April 1 (BNA): Sales of new electrified cars in France exceeded their gasoline counterparts for the first time in the first quarter, a major achievement for low-emission vehicles amid price hikes at petrol pumps and government subsidies for electrified models. .

Overall, French new car sales slumped in the first quarter and posted a 10th straight month decline with a nearly 20% drop in March, as the auto industry struggles to deal with supply chain issues including a global shortage of semiconductor chips, according to Reuters.

Sales of all-electric and hybrid models made up nearly 40% of new car sales, versus 38.3% for conventional gasoline models, according to industry data provided by Plateforme Automobiles (PFA).

A PFA spokesperson said that due to uncertainty about the war in Ukraine and a shortage of some components, it was not possible to provide a forecast for sales of new French cars in 2022.

Adding a market share of diesel model sales of 16.5% in the first quarter, pure combustion engine models are still in the majority.

But that’s a big change in car sales, where electrified cars were a niche market just three years ago.

Encouraged by subsidies, the impending ban on fossil fuel models and high gasoline prices, electrified models have become mainstream in a very short period of time.

The best-selling electric vehicle in France in March was the mass-market Tesla Model 3 (TSLA.O), followed by Renault’s Dacia Spring (RENA.PA) and Peugeot 208 from Stellants (STLA.MI).

French car sales fell 17.3% in the first quarter.

In 2020, the French car market pulled back from the brink due to the coronavirus pandemic, but then rose slightly in 2021.

M