The numbers are in, and they tell a story of accelerating momentum in France’s green transition. The annual barometer from Avere, the national association for electric mobility development, just dropped its report for 2019. The headline figure? 69,466 light electric vehicles were registered across the country last year. That is a sharp 29% jump from the previous year.
It wasn’t just a minor blip. This was a structural shift.
Breaking down that total volume reveals where the real demand lies. Passenger electric cars accounted for 42,763 units. Commercial utility vehicles added another 7,958. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) played a massive role too, with 18,582 models registered. This category is particularly interesting because it shows buyers hedging their bets. Specific PHEV models dominated this segment. The Mitsubishi Outlander moved 3,131 units. The Mini Countryman followed with 1,929 sales. The Land Rover Range Rover wasn’t far behind, taking 1,917 registrations.
Two-wheelers also saw explosive growth. Electric motorcycles and scooters surged by 43%, with 13,965 units hitting the roads.
The Unshakable King of French EVs
If you look at the passenger electric car segment, one name stands above the rest. The Renault Zoe remains indomitable. It didn’t just win; it owned the market.
In 2019, the Zoe secured 18,817 registrations. That’s a 10% increase year-over-year. But the sheer scale of its dominance is what matters. This single model represented 44% of all private electric vehicle registrations in France. It is the definitive answer to the question of which electric car is most popular in France.
Competitors had to fight for every inch. The Tesla Model 3 claimed second place. It moved 6,455 units. That is a respectable number, especially for a premium brand, but it highlights how far behind the mass-market leader sits.
Rounding out the top three is the Nissan Leaf. It registered 3,738 units.
Why These Numbers Matter
This isn’t just about vanity metrics. The structure of these sales figures explains the state of the market. The PHEV segment’s strength suggests range anxiety is still very real for mainstream buyers. They want electric capability but aren’t ready to fully commit to pure electric charging infrastructure.
Yet, the pure EV segment is growing faster in percentage terms for commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. The Zoe’s 44% market share shows that there is still room for one brand to capture nearly half the market. It also raises the bar for everyone else.
The Tesla Model 3’s second-place finish is notable. It proves that premium brands can gain traction without sacrificing price points entirely. But at 6,455 units, it is operating in a different league than the Zoe’s 18,817.
The Nissan Leaf’s position at third indicates that early adopters are still loyal to established platforms. However, the gap between second and third is wider than the gap
France slipped to third place in the European charging infrastructure race last year.
It wasn’t a collapse. But it was a drop.
At the start of 2020, the nation counted 28,666 charging points. Just behind, Germany had surged ahead. The two countries were neck-and-neck in late 2018. Then Berlin added 8,693 new points. France added 3,886. The gap widened instantly.
Germany now sits firmly above Paris in the rankings.
The Netherlands still holds the crown.
They added 14,099 points last year alone. Their total now sits at 50,415. It’s a massive lead.
Then there’s the United Kingdom.
They moved fast. They added 11,417 points. Their total is 27,719. They are now breathing down France’s neck.
“France added only 3,886 points while neighbors doubled or tripled that figure.”
Why did the Hexagon lag?
The math is simple. The growth rate was lower than everywhere else in Europe.
Germany is catching up fast. The UK is closing in. The Dutch are pulling away.
France didn’t stop building chargers. It just didn’t build enough of them.
The result? A third-place finish in a continent racing toward electrification.
