New car sales in France rose by 11.6 percent in September compared to the same month last year, largely due to a strong increase in electric vehicle (EV) registrations. According to data released on October 1st, a total of 156,629 passenger cars were registered during the month, with 65,243 of them being electric. This marks a 107.5 to 108 percent increase from the previous year, pushing the market share for EVs to 41.6 to 42 percent. This is the highest share recorded so far in 2023, surpassing the previous high of 38 percent in August. The growth is believed to be driven by higher fuel prices and government incentives such as social leasing, which allows people to rent vehicles at reduced rates. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in September, with 8,183 units registered. This makes it the top-selling model in France across all types of vehicles. From January to September, the Model Y has accumulated a total of 37,840 registrations, outpacing the Renault 5 E-Tech, which saw 5,224 registrations in September and 31,998 overall. The Renault Twingo also performed well, with 4,992 units registered in September, giving it a cumulative total of 14,483. The Renault Scenic E-Tech ranked fifth with 2,738 units registered in September, while the Peugeot e-208 saw a notable rise, with 3,274 units registered, largely due to the social leasing program. Other models that performed well include the Skoda Elroq, which had 1,457 units registered in September and 10,319 in total, and the Volkswagen ID.4, which saw 1,414 units registered in September and 10,472 overall. The Kia EV2 recorded 1,252 units in September, while the MG 4 Urban and Ford Puma had 834 and 670 units, respectively. In contrast, traditional models such as the Mini Cooper, Ford Explorer, and Opel Corsa had much lower registrations, with 451, 394, and 187 units, respectively. Renault leads the electric vehicle market in France, with 85,716 electric cars registered from January to September, giving it a 22.1 percent market share. Tesla follows closely with 45,198 units and an 11.7 percent share. Peugeot holds a steady 9.5 percent with 36,751 units. Chinese brands like BYD and MG are gaining ground, with the "other brands" category in the data showing a significant increase. However, none of these have yet entered the top 10 for electric vehicles in France. The continued growth of the electric vehicle market in France is largely supported by financial incentives and the current economic environment, which includes high fuel prices. However, experts remain cautious about the long-term sustainability of this growth, particularly as social leasing quotas are running out and Tesla's sales cycle experiences fluctuations.