French sales increased 46% in May as COVID restrictions ease

French registrations increased by 46 percent in May compared with the same month in 2020, when dealer showrooms were mostly closed because of coronavirus lockdowns. 

A number of volume brands recorded growth of more than 50 percent, led by Volkswagen Group, which saw its overall sales rise 70 percent for May. VW brand sales increased by 75 percent, Audi by 69 percent, Seat by 64 percent and Skoda by 56 percent. Other top performers were Fiat, up 57 percent, and Hyundai, up 55 percent.

There were 141,041 sales in May on 19 selling days, according to industry group CCFA. There were 20 selling days in May 2020; adjusted for that, sales rose by 39 percent. 

However, registrations were down by 27 percent from May 2019, when 193,948 vehicles were sold.

This year, French dealers operated under a partial lockdown until May 19, with sales and deliveries by appointment only, and a national curfew of 7 p.m.

AAA Data, a French market research firm, said in a note that the pandemic “still weighs on private demand.”

“Despite the lifting of restrictions during the course of the month, the economy is still affected by the health crisis, and households are reluctant to resume spending,” AAA Data said, noting that private sales made up just 40 percent of the market.

Sales in the short-term rental channel grew sharply, at 17 percent of the market compared to just 8 percent in May 2020, as rental companies anticipated a return to a normal summer vacation season, AAA Data said.

Through May, French sales are up 50 percent to 723,257, CCFA said.

Sales at Stellantis, the new group created by the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, were up 42 percent in May. In addition to Fiat’s strong growth, Peugeot brand increased by 49 percent, Citroen by 29 percent, DS by 42 percent and Opel by 26 percent.

Renault Group sales increased by 46 percent, with Renault brand up 45 percent and Dacia up 48 percent.

BMW brand sales were up 50 percent, with Mini gaining 8.5 percent.

Mercedes-Benz sales were up 28 percent. Volvo gained 47 percent, and Ford sales were up 10 percent.

Among Asian automakers, Toyota sales increased by 27 percent, while Nissan sales fell by 14 percent. Kia sales rose by 28 percent.

By powertrain, sales of hybrid vehicles (full hybrid and plug-in hybrid) surpassed diesel sales for the first time, CCFA and AAA Data said. Hybrids made up 26 percent of the market compared with 12 percent in May 2020, while diesel sales were 22 percent, a 25-year low, compared with 29 percent in May 2020.

Diesel sales are expected fall further after July 1, when a government conversion bonus for clean diesel and gasoline models is scheduled to expire, AAA Data said. 

Sales of full-electric vehicles were steady at 8.2 percent of the market in May. The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling full-electric car in May, with 8,083 sales, ahead of the Renault Zoe at 7,448 sales.

CO2 emissions reached a low of 110 g/km on the WLTP scale, CCFA said, compared with 126 g/km in May 2020.