Electric Zoé: Worrying decline in sales

Decline of the queen of electric and hybrid vehicles

There was a time when the Renault Zoé, an electric car, reigned supreme in the market for electric and hybrid vehicles. However, his end of career is now akin to a real way of the cross.

Ranking of sales: a difficult month of July on the French market

July was a difficult month for car manufacturers in the electric and hybrid vehicle automotive sector in the French market. You have to look up to 6th place in the standings to find the first car sporting the Diamond, the Mégane, a diesel sedan. Last month, it was surpassed by the MG 4 and Tesla Model 3 (998 sales for the French, 1048 for the American, 1083 for the Chinese). In 9th position is the Twingo, an electric city car, with 525 sales, a decrease of 36%.

Zoé in distress against competing electric cars

As for the Zoé, it almost slipped off the radar in the rankings. She does not even appear in the top 20, finally positioning herself in 22nd place! A surprising situation for a vehicle that was once a benchmark in the market for electric and hybrid vehicles. Last month, only 203 units were registered, thus registering a drop of 79% compared to July 2022. In July, the Zoé thus underperformed the 226 Audi Q4 e-tron, the 259 Cupra Born, and the 394 Skoda Enyaq, all equipped with electric motors.

Low performance of new passenger cars and used cars

This decline in sales of new passenger cars and used cars also affects other French car manufacturers on the French market. The Renault group, a French manufacturer, known for its electric city cars like the Zoé and rechargeable hybrid models, recorded disappointing figures for the month of July. Other French and foreign manufacturers, as well as other players in the automotive sector, are also suffering the consequences of this slowdown in the French automotive market for new, electric and hybrid passenger cars.

Market share impacted by production issues

Production problems also contributed to this critical situation for the electric Zoé. Although the shortage of semiconductors is coming to an end, Renault, a French manufacturer, had to favor other models, thus impacting the availability of the Zoé. In June, the assembly was completely stopped for three weeks! Inevitably, this greatly impacts the possibility of delivering cars, resulting in such low results in July.

The rise of electric and hybrid vehicles on the French and European market

Lithium-ion engines have paved the way for more efficient and autonomous electric and hybrid vehicles on the French and European market. Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and other electric cars from brands like Volvo offer an alternative to thermal cars running on gasoline and diesel combustion. These electric cars and plug-in hybrids help reduce pollutant emissions and are encouraged through green incentives, such as conversion bonuses, to encourage drivers to charge their electric cars rather than refueling with petrol or diesel. .

A competitive market for electric and hybrid cars

Faced with competition from electric and hybrid cars such as the Smart Fortwo, the Renault Zoé is struggling to stand out. Other automakers, including luxury brands like Tesla and Ferrari, are also entering the performance electric car race. French and foreign car dealers and manufacturers must therefore be creative in attracting buyers and convincing them to switch to electric and hybrid cars.

Used cars are gaining popularity

With the challenges faced by new car registrations, used cars are becoming an increasingly attractive option for consumers. Used electric and hybrid cars, such as the Renault Captur or the Zoé, are also finding their way into the used car market, offering a more affordable and environmentally friendly alternative for buyers.

In short, the Renault Zoé, once the undisputed queen of electric and hybrid car sales, is going through a difficult period with a significant drop in its registrations. Increased competition from other electric and hybrid cars, city cars, sedans, SUVs, utility vehicles and new passenger cars, combined with production issues, are challenging this iconic Renault model in the ever-changing automotive industry market, including in electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. French and foreign manufacturers, as well as dealers, equipment manufacturers and used car sellers, must reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing automotive market, where charging,