Is France Falling Behind in Electric Vehicles?

With over 200,000 electric cars, France set a sales record in 2022, but many of its European neighbors did better.

France aims to be the queen of the environment and sustainability, but what about in the automotive sector? In the collective consciousness, it would seem logical to think that the several thousand-euro bonuses and our decarbonized electricity have made the country a pioneer of electric vehicles.

With 200,000 registrations, 2022 marks a new symbolic milestone for electric cars in France. It is especially notable for a record share of 13.3%, compared to 9.7% in 2021 and only 6.72% in 2020 and 1.93% in 2019. However, when looking elsewhere in Europe, the figures are even better.

Norway leads, Germany increases volume

Of course, the comparison is striking with the country that is the king of electric cars. Norway continues to push boundaries with nearly 80% market share in 2022. But the Scandinavian country is not the top seller of electric vehicles in Europe.

The top volume country is Germany by far. Our German neighbors registered 470,559 electric cars in 2022, a 32% increase year-on-year. This results in a market share of 17.7%, and gives Tesla the opportunity to reach nearly 70,000 registrations (+76%).

In the United Kingdom, whose automotive market size is similar to that of France, the results are also much better. Still behind in 2020, electric vehicles increased by 40% in 2022, reaching 267,203 units. The market share has now surpassed that of France, with 16.6%. In December, electric cars even overtook petrol vehicles, accounting for 33% of sales!

And the trend continues with other Nordic countries. The Netherlands recorded 78,223 electric cars, representing 19% of the local auto market, while Sweden saw a remarkable +65% growth. With nearly 95,000 registrations, it now means one in three cars is electric. Switzerland is also ahead of France, with 17.8% electric vehicles, totaling 40,173 units, a 26% increase.

Southern Europe in the red

Further south from France, the outlook is negative. Italy saw its electric vehicle registrations decline by 26% in 2022, with only a 4.3% market share. Spain, however, experienced a 31% growth, reaching 36,452 units, but still with a very low rate: 3.8%. Yet, its neighbor is doing better. Portugal reached 11.4% electric in 2022, with 17,817 vehicles, up from 9% in 2021.

Also read: Top 20 electric cars of 2022: and the number one is…