France EV market accelerates in February 2026

Strong growth despite declining overall market

The French electric vehicle market maintained strong momentum in February 2026, even as the broader automotive market continued to contract.

A total of 42,663 plug-in vehicles (BEV + PHEV) were registered during the month, representing a 23.1% year-on-year increase.

• Battery electric vehicles (BEVs): 35,683 registrations (+27.3% YoY)
• Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs): 6,980 registrations (+5.6% YoY)

This confirms that growth in France is primarily driven by fully electric vehicles, while PHEVs show more moderate expansion.

At the same time, the overall new car market declined for the second consecutive month, reaching historically low levels for the beginning of the year.

Market share reaches high levels

Electrification reached new highs in February 2026:

• BEV market share: 23.8%
• PHEV market share: 4.7%
• Total plug-in share: ~28.5%

Alternative estimates indicate that the combined EV share (BEV + PHEV) may exceed 30% of new car registrations, underlining the strong structural shift away from internal combustion engines.

AF Market share of total registrations (M1)

Newly registered alternative fuelled (BEV, PHEV, H2, LPG, CNG, LNG) passenger cars as a percentage of the total number of registrations.

This means that France remains among the leading European markets in terms of EV penetration, supported by policy incentives and growing consumer acceptance.

Key drivers: policy support and fleet demand

Two structural drivers continue to shape the French EV market:

1. Social leasing scheme

The “leasing social” programme continues to play a major role, particularly in the private segment. Affordable leasing offers have enabled wider access to electric vehicles, especially for lower-income households.

This is reflected in model-level data:

• The Renault 5, eligible for social leasing, is sold predominantly to private buyers (around 75%).

2. Corporate and fleet electrification

Fleet demand remains a key pillar of the market:

• Models such as the Renault Scenic are largely driven by corporate registrations (around 85%).

Overall, companies continue to play a critical role in scaling up EV adoption, particularly in higher vehicle segments.

Top-selling electric models

The French market in February 2026 is characterised by a mix of domestic and international models.

Top 5 electric passenger cars:

1. Tesla Model Y – 3,036 registrations
2. Renault 5 – 2,666
3. Renault Scenic – 2,131
4. Citroën e-C3 – 1,345
5. Peugeot e-208 – 1,151

Key observations:

• The Tesla Model Y remains the top-selling model, with a balanced mix of private and fleet buyers.
• French manufacturers dominate the ranking, with Renault placing two models in the top three.
• Affordable models such as the Citroën e-C3 highlight the growing importance of the entry-level EV segment.

Regional dynamics and infrastructure

EV adoption remains geographically concentrated:

• Île-de-France leads registrations (over 11,600 units in February)
• Followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

On the infrastructure side, France reached approximately 189,943 publicly accessible charging points as of January 2026, supporting continued EV uptake.

Outlook

The February results confirm that France is entering 2026 with strong electrification momentum:

• BEVs are now the dominant powertrain among new registrations for the month
• The 20–25% BEV share range appears to be consolidating as a new baseline
• Continued policy support and fleet electrification will remain decisive factors

However, the declining overall car market and evolving incentive schemes will require close monitoring. The balance between public subsidies, affordability, and infrastructure deployment will be critical to sustain growth in the coming months.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.