Tesla Model 3 Tops EV Sales in France for Q1; Electrics Outsell Gas for First Time

The Tesla Model 3 zipped to the top of electric vehicle (EV) sales in France for the first quarter of 2022, as plug-in vehicles outsold gas-powered cars in the country for the first time — reports MarketScreener.

Overall car sales in France were down 17.3% during Q1 2022, posting their tenth straight month of declines with around 20% in March. Like the rest of the world, the automotive industry in France is fending off supply chain bottlenecks and an ongoing global semiconductor shortage.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for almost 40% of all new cars sold in France during Q1, while petrol-powered models trailed behind with a 38.3% share of the market, according to market data from Plateforme Automobile (PFA).

16.5% of the market was captured by diesel-powered vehicles, putting internal combustion engine (ICE) cars overall in the lead still.

The Model 3 has regularly dominated plug-in car sales in France. For Q1 2022, the Model 3 was followed by the Dacia Spring from Renault and Stellantis’s Peugeot 208.

The flame of EV sales in France is being fanned by climbing fuel prices, government subsidies for lower-emission vehicles, and ever-approaching bans on gas guzzlers.

Due to uncertainty over the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and looming supply shortages, a spokesperson for the PFA said it is currently not possible to provide a forecast for new car sales in France for the full year 2022.

Just 10 days after the start of this year, the Tesla Model 3 was sold out across Europe for Q1.