The little death of the gasoline engine?

Only 11.3%: in the new car market in France, the share of gasoline has become almost negligible in August 2026.

Is the gasoline engine disappearing? Behind this deliberately provocative headline, we willingly admit, the reality is much more nuanced.

Let’s instead ask whether the traditional 100% thermal car is doomed. The first figures from the French automotive market in August 2026 are spectacular. According to the provisional data from NGC-Data reported on the evening of August 30, only 9,280 new gasoline cars have been registered since the beginning of the month. They now represent just 11.3% of the market, with volumes down 49% year-on-year.

In contrast, electric cars provisionally reached 31,991 registrations and 38.9% of the French market. As of one day prior, they even surpassed hybrids, credited with 37.8%.

There is gasoline and…

So, are we witnessing the death of the gasoline engine? Not really. Because behind the category of hybrid cars, there are indeed powertrains that are predominantly thermal.

Full hybrid or micro-hybrid, these models use a battery and an electric motor to assist their thermal mechanics, but continue to fill up at the pump for the most part. In July, gasoline hybrids represented 41.3% of the French automotive market.

Statistics from the Ministry of Ecological Transition provide a better understanding of the phenomenon. In July, non-hybrid gasoline cars accounted for only 11.7% of new registrations. However, by adding non-rechargeable hybrids running on gasoline, gasoline still weighed 51.8% of the market.

Here lies the nuance: it is not the gasoline engine itself that is disappearing yet, but mainly the traditional gasoline car. The electrification of the French market is progressing at an impressive speed, but a large portion of so-called “electrified” cars still burn fuel.

The gasoline engine is therefore not dead. It has simply learned to hide behind a battery.

ALSO READ: Used electric cars will cost less starting September 1st

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