Are BEVs the cure to France’s ailing new-car market?

02 June 2026

France has seen another month of new-car registration increases as the market claws back from a poor start to the year. But could reliance on one powertrain prove to be the market’s undoing? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the latest data.

With a positive registration result in May, the new-car market in France is seemingly regaining some of its confidence.

According to the PFA and AAA Data, 128,484 new cars took to the country’s roads, a year-on-year increase of 3.7%. This was the second month of 2026 to see improvement, following a minimal loss in April.

These results have seen the French new-car market recover from a poor start to the year. Across the first two months of 2026, deliveries were down 11.1%. However, there was a positive performance in March and more marginal results in April and May. This equated to a year-on-year decline of just 0.6% in the year to date.

Over the five-month period, 668,379 new cars were registered. This was just 4,321 units fewer than the same period last year.

BEVs provide boost for France

The registration rise in France was helped by a strong result in the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market. All other major powertrains saw losses in the month. Deliveries of all-electric models increased by 92.7%. In all, 37,415 units left dealerships, almost double the number in May 2025.

The BEV market has been France’s saviour so far this year. It is the only powertrain to have seen deliveries increase every month of the year. After five months, all-electric registrations grew by 55.4% to 185,714 units. This was good enough for a 27.8% slice of the market.

Things could continue to improve for BEVs. In April, the French government set out its plans for the future of electric mobility in the country.

This includes an industrial objective for French manufacturers to produce 400,000 electric vehicles (EVs) per year by 2027. This target is then set to increase to one million by 2030.

In addition, the government confirmed that its third social leasing plan for EVs is set to resume in June. This will cover an additional 50,000 models.

A new program is also planned for high-mileage drivers. This is aimed at home care workers, caregivers, nurses, tradespeople, employees, and public servants. The new plan will see an additional 50,000 subsidised EVs starting in 2026.

PHEVs continue to struggle

While BEVs have been the success story in France, their EV counterpart, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), have struggled. May saw another month of decline, as 6.5% fewer models took to the country’s roads. The 7,648 new registrations represented 6% of the country’s market, a drop of 0.6 percentage points (pp).

PHEVs have only witnessed one month of growth between January and May this year, according to Autovista24 calculations. The 35,565 units delivered to customers during that period was down 4.8%. The technology counted for 5.3% of the country’s total in the year to date, a drop of 0.3pp.

This PHEV decline detracted somewhat from the overall EV market figures. In May, the combination of BEVs and PHEVs saw growth of 63.3% to 45,063 units. This represented a 35.1% share in the month, a rise of 12.8pp.

The result kept plug-in models well ahead of their internal-combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. The powertrain grouping has firmly established itself in the French new-car market.

This is also reflected in the figures for the first five months of 2026. EVs saw 221,279 deliveries, an increase of 41.1%. The technology took a 33.1% share of the overall market, up 9.8pp, and some way ahead of ICE registrations.

France sees hybrid domination

Although BEVs were the best-performing powertrain in May and the year to date, hybrids still led the market.

However, the powertrain’s figures, made up of both full and mild variants, dipped 4.8% last month. The technology has been through a rollercoaster run in 2026, mixing some strong results with significant dips.

With 51,930 registrations in May, hybrids took a 40.4% hold of the overall total. Yet this was 3.6pp down compared to the same month of 2025, echoing a wider trend across the EU.

The figures from January to May were more positive. Thanks to a strong result in March, the hybrid market was able to keep growing, despite recent downturns. After five months, the powertrain recorded 304,838 deliveries, a 1% rise compared to 12 months prior. This was good enough for a 45.6% share, up 0.7pp.

Adding hybrids to the plug-in grouping meant electrified models dominated in May. With 96,993 units and an 18.1% volume increase, the technology took 75.5% of the market, up 9.2pp. After five months, electrified powertrains held a 78.7% share. Their 526,117-unit tally was up 14.7% against the same point in 2025.

Petrol and diesel continue to fade

While BEV uptake increases and hybrids continue to lead, traditional petrol and diesel powertrains are continuing to fade in France.

May’s 37.4% drop in volumes marked another major decrease for petrol registrations. Just 18,926 units made their way to customers, representing 14.7% of the market, down by 9.7pp.

Between January and May, 99,329 petrol models were registered, a 36.8% fall. This represented 57,771 fewer units compared to the same period last year. While petrol’s cumulative total breached the 100,000-unit barrier in April 2025, this year it will not do so until June.

Diesel, meanwhile, continues its decline. Just 3,292 units were registered in May, a fall of 52.5%. Diesel represented just 2.6% of total registrations in the month, down 3pp year on year.

Over the first five months of 2026, diesel’s decline was the steepest of all powertrains. With 17,192 units registered, volumes fell 45.9%. This left it with just 2.6% of the market, a fall of 2.1pp compared to the same period last year.

The future powertrain picture for France?

The continued decline of petrol and diesel meant the ICE market saw a 40.2% drop in volumes during May. In total, 22,218 units hit French roads, a drop of 14,925 models year on year. This meant the ICE market took a 17.3% share of overall registrations in the month, a fall of 12.7pp.

Between January and May, ICE deliveries declined by 38.3% with 72,331 fewer units moved. With a 17.4% market share, the 116,521 units delivered in the five-month period represented a fall from grace for the technology.

Whether France can build on May’s positive result remains to be seen. With petrol and diesel fading fast, hybrids stuttering and PHEVs failing to find their feet, BEVs play a pivotal role.

New social leasing plans will help the all-electric technology grow further, but could create a reliance on one powertrain. The situation is working for now, but the French new-car market remains balanced on a knife edge.