The French automotive market increases slightly in September, but is far from compensating its fall since the beginning of the year.

The new car sales increased very slightly in France in September for a year (+1%), thanks to a business day more and far from compensating the 6.25% drop since the beginning of the year. In September, 140,354 new cars were registered, according to the figures published Wednesday by the Automotive Platform (PFA), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and Manufacturers. And again, according to AAA data, it is only in favor of one more business day in September 2025 compared to 2024 that the market “remains afloat.”

The automotive market is “stable at an abnormally low level,” analyzed the president of PFA Luc Chatl in RMC.

“We sell an average of 160,000 vehicles in September, we sold 140,000 last month,” he said.

With 19.8% of autumn records between September 2019 and September 2025, sales are far from finding their level before Covid.

Stellantis Stagatoes, Renault Progression

Stellantis and Renault groups share more than half of the market, with 25.7% of sales each. But the first, which crosses a difficult pass, sees that its records stagnate for more than a year, while Renault increase by 6.5%. During the first nine months of the year, Stellantis sales fell 9.47%. Group 14 Brands will put the employees of several of its European factories, including three in France, several days in partial unemployment in October.

With respect to motorization, electric cars represent 22% of records in September and 18.3% in the first nine months of the year. The hybrid remains largely in most and “thermal motors (including GPL) weigh only 3% of the records,” says AAA data.

“The new electric bonus formula (…) for individuals already gives positive results,” says Marie-Laure Nivot, an Aaa data analyst.

But, although thermal vehicles will be prohibited in the European Union in 2035, “this year it would be necessary to sell around 25 or 26% of electric vehicles to maintain the trajectory,” says Luc Chatel. “We can see that we will not get there. The truth of prices is essential,” he said. In this new car market where prices are “deterrent”, according to Grégory Caret of the UFC-Que Choisir, the proportion of economic and lower range vehicles, to represent 56% of sales during the first nine months of 2025.