Renault: EVs hit 60% of French sales over one weekend
Electric cars made up around 60% of Renault brand sales in France last weekend, a record driven by high fuel prices. The Douai plant now runs three shifts.
Electric cars made up around 60% of Renault brand sales in France last weekend, brand CEO Fabrice Cambolive said on Sunday night, quoted by "Reuters". It is a new record, driven by rising petrol and diesel prices.
The numbers
- in September, EVs were 42% of new car registrations in France;
- for the Renault brand alone, the share was 53.5% that month;
- last weekend was France's final "open house" sales event of the year, with special offers, right before the Paris Motor Show.
Douai on three shifts
To keep up with demand, Renault Group added another half shift in early October at its Douai plant, which builds the R5, Mégane and the electric Nissan Micra. The site now runs three shifts.
Flavien Neuvy, economist and head of Observatoire Cetelem, says the current boom has pulled Europe's move to 100% electric forward by about two years. Renault publishes its Q3 sales on October 29.
Why it matters
The demand is not driven by new subsidies but by fuel costs, the same pressure drivers feel across Europe. When the cost per kilometre gap widens, a small EV like the R5 becomes an easy sell, and factories have to catch up.
