As of 2026, light commercial vehicles in France—used by artisans, small and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate fleets—still mostly run on diesel, even as the country pushes for electric vehicles and introduces low-emission zones. Discussions around the future of transportation focus on phasing out diesel, expanding low-emission zones, and stricter regulations on Crit'Air stickers, which classify vehicles by their emissions levels. In the private car market, the shift away from diesel has already been significant, with diesel now being a rarity. However, for light commercial vehicles, diesel remains the dominant choice. As of January 1, 2026, around 6.6 million of these vehicles are in use in France, and nearly 91.6% of them still run on diesel. This is a slight decrease from 95.6% in 2019, but fully electric models only make up 2.3% of the fleet. In the new vehicle market, the trend toward alternatives is more visible, but diesel still holds a strong position. The share of diesel in new registrations has dropped from about 93% in 2019 to 75.5% in the first half of 2026. In contrast, in the private car sector, diesel now accounts for only about 5% of new registrations. In corporate fleet purchases, the shift away from diesel is more noticeable but still modest. Diesel’s share has fallen from 92% of transactions in the first half of 2019 to 70% in the first half of 2026. Hybrid and gasoline models are growing in popularity, though they remain a minority. The continued dominance of diesel is largely due to the nature of its use. For tasks requiring long daily distances or heavy load capacity, diesel vehicles are still hard to replace, especially in large vans. A usage cost study found that in six comparisons of light commercial vehicles, the fully electric model was more cost-effective in four cases, regardless of the distance traveled. However, for a large van like the Renault Master, the electric version only becomes more cost-effective beyond 100,000 km, with a limited advantage of 3.6% to 120,000 km. This gives diesel a real edge in less intensive usage scenarios. In urban areas, the situation is beginning to shift. Low-emission zones are increasingly restricting the oldest diesel vehicles, and Crit'Air stickers—used to determine vehicle access to these zones—are becoming more restrictive. In some major cities, even Crit'Air 2 stickers, which allow access to more areas, are being phased out. Electric vehicles also offer lower maintenance costs, estimated to be 30 to 40% cheaper than their diesel counterparts. A variety of electric models are now available, from small vans like the Renault Kangoo E-Tech to larger models like the Renault Master E-Tech and the Peugeot E-Expert, designed for last-mile deliveries. Despite these developments, corporate forecasts remain cautious: by 2030, they expect about 72% of their light commercial vehicles to still be powered by gasoline or diesel, with only 15% fully electric. This suggests that while electrification is progressing, the shift away from diesel is happening gradually, vehicle by vehicle, rather than through a sudden large-scale change.