Auto Market: Vehicle Registrations in Great Shape in November 2022

Electric and hybrid cars drive the French automotive market into positive territory, with MG quadrupling its registrations.

And third time’s the charm! The automotive market has once again grown in November, marking the third consecutive month of increase after October’s slight upturn. With 133,960 registrations compared to 121,994 last year, the volume rises by 10%, but remains 22% below November 2019. Cumulatively, 2022 still shows a decline, down 9% compared to 2021 and down 32% compared to 2019.

“Uncertainties, both regarding industrial supply and the purchasing power of the French, continue to weigh heavily,” states Julien Billon, CEO of AAA Data. “Looking closer, the good performance of the new car market is more due to expected deliveries concentrated among a few brands, but also…”

+24% for electric vehicles, second-hand sales continue to decline

In November, electric vehicles continue to outpace diesel (15% vs. 14%) as the second most popular powertrain on the market behind petrol (36%). Simple hybrids, such as Toyota and Clio E-Tech, are more popular than mild hybrids (or micro-hybrids) and plug-in hybrids. LPG remains stagnant, while E85, still anecdotal, nearly tripled its volumes.

Overall, electric cars account for 13% of registrations over the 11 months of 2022. The petrol engine continues to lead (37%) ahead of hybrids (28%), while plug-in hybrids declined by 11%. Notably, E85 and LPG make up 6% of the market share.

Contrary to new cars, the used car market continues to plummet, down 11% in November. With nearly 416,500 transactions, it is pulled down mainly by recent models under five years old, which dropped by 23%, while those over 10 years old remain almost stable (-1%).

MG is making a splash in electric vehicles!

“This is the big news of the month, at the very beginning of significant volumes from new Chinese entrants into the electric vehicle market,” adds J. Billon. It primarily concerns a brand, MG Motor, and its new electric models. The compact MG4 sedan recorded a volume of 334 units, and the MG5 station wagon 789 units in November, bringing MG’s total close to 10,000 cars for the year. Starting at less than €29,000, the MG4 is expected to gain momentum, facing the Renault Mégane E-Tech, which costs at least €37,200. The French model remains in the top 5 electric cars, with 1,783 units in November, behind the Peugeot e-208 and Tesla Model 3 and Model Y (2,809 and 2,891 units).

By brands, Peugeot maintains its lead over Renault, even increasing its advantage. For third place, Dacia surpasses Citroën and Toyota, while Volkswagen remains outside the top five. Surprise: Tesla ranks seventh, well ahead of Ford, which is regaining momentum, along with Kia and Mercedes-Benz.

The Top 10 car brands in November 2022 (source AAA Data):

1. Peugeot 21,511 (+10%)
2. Renault 18,797 (-1%)
3. Dacia 10,493 (-5%)
4. Citroën 10,397 (-21%)
5. Toyota 10,041 (+42%)
6. Volkswagen 9,355 (+48%)
7. Tesla 5,753 (+169%)
8. Ford 4,233 (+111%)
9. Kia 4,108 (+1%)
10. Mercedes-Benz 4,076 (-8%)

Also read: Europe: already 1 million electric cars sold in 2022