Auto: sales of new cars increased by 7% in October, driven by electric vehicles

Sales of new cars in France continued to grow in October, with an increase of 7% driven by the dynamics of electric vehicles, according to data published on Sunday by the Automobile Platform (PFA).

Some 149,341 passenger cars were registered last month, an increase of 7% compared to September, according to figures from the sector's professional organization. Electric vehicles (100% electric and hydrogen engines) represent 41% of registrations and 49% with plug-in hybrids.

“October 2026 once again confirms the profound transformation of the automotive energy mix: in one year, the market share of new electric cars increases from 24% to 41%, illustrating the acceleration of the transition to electric,” commented Marie-Laure Nivot, head of automotive market analysis at AAA DATA, in a note. Among manufacturers, the Stellantis group (Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot brands, etc.) increased by 2.8%, while the Renault group fell by 4.1%. Tesla, for its part, recorded a strong increase of +35.3%.

This progression is part of a context of reinforced support: the CEE boost can reach 5,700 euros for precarious households, social leasing renewed on July 16, 2026 offers 50,000 cars at 200 euros per month maximum. “Over the first ten months of 2026, with 1,384,293 registrations, the French market for new passenger cars is up 4.37% in raw data,” notes the PFA.

The situation is less rosy on the second-hand market, where sales fell by 7.2% in October. Transactions of diesel cars fell by 16.9% and those of gasoline cars by 8.7%. This trend occurs in the context of the surge in fuel prices (diesel around 2.30 euros per liter, SP95-E10 around 2.12 euros per liter, trend observed in October 2026).