New car sales in France improved slightly in September, confirming the uptick seen the previous month, in a year that will, however, remain far from pre-crisis levels, due to persistent shortages of semiconductors.
“With 141,142 registrations, the French market for new passenger cars grows by 5.46% in raw data compared to September 2021,” the Automotive Platform (PFA) that represents manufacturers and equipment manufacturers indicated this Saturday in its monthly report. . However, during the first nine months of the year, passenger car sales remained 11.8% below, according to this report.
“It’s a statistical rebound, we have to be very careful, we are still at very, very low levels,” François Roudier, head of PFA communication, told AFP.
This signals that the French market is down 32%, during the first nine months of 2022, compared to 2019, the last “normal” year before the pandemic.
While some two million new cars had been sold in France in 2019, “we are going to convert, according to a certain number of commercial directors of the brands, around 1.5, 1.6 million throughout the year”, M Roudier specified.
Electronic components
Automakers “have managed to pull vehicles off the production line by trying to source electronic components,” but this problem “remains just as significant” and supply “very uncertain,” Roudier worried.
As recently as Thursday, production was suspended for three days at manufacturer Renault sites, notably those in Douai and Maubeuge, and will be suspended again throughout the week of October 17, due to this persistent shortage of semiconductors. According to union sources. This problem affects all of Europe, stressed Roudier, who adds that the situation from one continent to another changes “every week”.
The only real note of optimism, according to Roudier, “the new electric models are doing well,” which is “pretty encouraging given the billions invested” in their development. During the first nine months of the year, they represented 13% of sales (21%, including hybrid models).
“Automobile manufacturers, as soon as they have electronic components, favor electric vehicles”, deciphers the PFA spokesman, explaining this trend by the need to “launch” this electric market and escape the sanctions of Europe, in the event of a poor CO2 balance of your sales.
Source: BFM TV
