Electric cars exceeded a quarter of registrations sold in France in November

Despite good electric sales, the French automobile market fell by 0.3% in November year-on-year.

The French automobile market fell by 0.3% in November year-on-year, confirming a gloomy 2025 against a backdrop of consumer wait-and-see, announced the Automobile Platform (PFA) in its monthly delivery of statistics. On the other hand, electric cars have for the first time exceeded a quarter of registrations. In total, 132,927 new passenger cars were put on the roads last month, a level equivalent to that of November 2022, the PFA, which represents automobile manufacturers and equipment suppliers in France, said on Monday.

The French automobile market, which has never recovered from the health crisis, is 23% below its level of November 2019. Over the first eleven months of the year, registrations contracted by 4.9% compared to the same period of 2024. According to the PFA, “political and economic uncertainties”notably the vagueness on the future of the 2026 finance bill in Parliament, are among the reasons for this decline.

For their part, 100% electric cars confirmed their success in November, conquering 26% of the market. This unprecedented monthly level is attributed by the PFA to the success of “social leasing”, rental with option to purchase electric vehicles for low-income households with state aid, relaunched in October. This device “was quite buoyant in vehicle sales” zero emissions, in addition to the obligation for companies to integrate at least 20% of such vehicles into their fleets. This dynamism has allowed electric cars to capture one in five French registrations since the start of the year, again a record level after 17% over the whole of 2023 and 2024.