Struck by the Covid-19 health crisis and slowed down by the shortage of electronic chips, the French automotive market remained in 2021 at its historically low level of 2020, with 1.66 million units sold (+ 0.5% per report to 2020), according to provisional registration data from NGC Data published on Friday, December 31 by Argus. “The comparison with the 2019 financial year is scary,” notes the magazine, highlighting a 25% drop in sales, or 554,000 cars.
Manufacturers are not equal in the face of the crisis: Peugeot for the first time becomes number 1 in sales ahead of Renault, with a market share of 17.2%, and despite a drop in sales of 6.1%. The brand of the Stellantis group is driven by the success of its compact 208, number 1 in sales in 2021, and its 2008 and 3008 SUVs.
Renault saw its sales fall by 14.7% over one year and its market share drop to 16.2%, or nearly 140,000 vehicles less than in 2019. Excluding sales to professionals, it is however the economic brand of the Renault group, Dacia, which ranks first in sales with its Sandero. Ford, Nissan and Opel also lost market share this year.
On the French market, electrics reach an unprecedented 9.8% market share, with nearly 162,000 vehicles sold (+ 45.6% over one year). The Tesla Model 3 becomes number 1 in electric sales for the first time, ahead of the Renault Zoé. Hybrids now represent more than 17% of sales, and plug-in hybrids more than 8%. Together, these hybrid engines have overtaken Diesel (21.1%, -31% in volume over one year). Gasoline-powered cars represent 40.2% of sales, with volume down 14.2%.
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