An overview of the French car fleet published by the government shows that the standard of living strongly influences car ownership. It is also noted that as income increases, the share of electric vehicles also increases.
53.6% of vehicles are diesel in France
This report published on July 16, 2024 correlates the standard of living of the French with the state of the car fleet. The first observation: income still influences car ownership. The study shows that the top 20% of households own a quarter of the fleet, while the lowest 20% own only 12%. The Ministry of Ecological Transition also studied the type of engine of the vehicles.
As of January 1, 2023, French households owned 35.7 million cars. While electric cars have been gaining popularity in recent years and sales have been increasing slightly each month, they still remain largely in the minority in the entire fleet. Thermal engines (diesel, gasoline, gas) make up 95.5% of the household car fleet. Declining in new registrations, diesel vehicles account for the majority of cars at 53.6%. Electric cars account for only 1.2%.
Is owning an electric car still a matter of budget?
The study shows that with rising incomes, “the share of diesel in the household car fleet decreases in favor of gasoline, hybrid engines, and electric.” To highlight this, the authors divided the population into 10 deciles. D1 represents the poorest 10% of French people, while D10 encompasses the wealthiest 10%. It is observed that 63% of the models are diesel cars in D1, compared to 42% in D10. The difference is striking.
Electric cars account for 3% of cars owned in D10, while this share remains below 1% in all deciles in the first half of income levels. The study also reveals that the proportion of Crit’Air 1 cars is twice as high in the wealthiest households. From 18% for D1 to 41% for D10. On the contrary, the proportion of cars classified as Crit’Air 3, 4, 5, or unclassified “shows a progressive decrease as income levels increase.”
However, all data in this study are based on figures as of January 1, 2023. Over the past 18 months, much has changed, and the electric vehicle market has evolved. 2023 saw a record sales increase in France (+37%), and the social leasing introduced in early 2024 allowed 50,000 households with lower incomes to own an electric car. If the study were conducted today, it might be slightly different, but it still reflects the trend.
A significant increase in electric vehicles to come?
With the rise of affordable electric cars, more and more French people will be able to switch from traditional gasoline cars. Today, the cost of batteries is decreasing significantly, and the industry is transforming. A majority of manufacturers are working on developing smaller models to enable more people to transition to electric. In China, 65% of available electric cars are cheaper than traditional ones. Europe is not there yet, but that’s the direction we are heading.
Electric models priced below 25,000 euros are already available in France: the Citroën ë-C3 (23,300 euros) and the Dacia Spring (18,900 euros). More models are expected in the coming years, such as the Hyundai Inster in 2025, a new Renault Twingo in 2026, and the Volkswagen ID.1 in 2027. Additionally, the prices of several electric vehicles are decreasing over the years. For example, the ID.3 is now available for 37,990 euros, and the Mégane E-Tech starts at 34,000 euros.