Automotive market: a first quarter of 2022 at half mast, but all is not black

With a Ukrainian conflict that has impacted the entire global automotive industry, we should not expect miracles in terms of registrations in France in this first quarter of 2022, and in particular in the month of March. Indeed, with 147,079 registrations, the French market for new passenger cars is down 19.53%. A trend that follows that of the first quarter with 365,361 registrations overall, a decrease of 17.30%.

The downward trend is confirmed in particular for the French groups Stellantis and Renault, which recorded a variation of -28.2% for the first and -22% for the second quarter. Stellantis and Renault still have the lion’s share of the market with 23% held by Renault and 30.8% by Stellantis, the other manufacturers being asked to make do with the rest.

The market share of electric is approaching that of diesel

This remainder, precisely, is undoubtedly the card to play for manufacturers offering so-called alternative energies. Indeed, if we note a continuous erosion of the share of diesel, with only 14% of market share in this month of March 2022 (i.e. only 16% in this first quarter against 34% before the pandemic), the share of hybrids (P)HEV increased from 23% to 28% between the first three months of 2021 and 2022. Electric vehicles continue to grow with 11.9% of registrations in the first quarter compared to 6.9% during the same period a year earlier.

Gasoline is resisting with 38.3%, but shows a drop since this energy still represented 43.5% in the first quarter of 2021. Note a full box for Superethanol, registrations having increased to 5804 between January and March 2022 against 0 in the same period of 2021 (Source AAA Data). No runaway however, the market share of this energy remains for the moment confined to 1.6%, but it is possible to foresee a continuous increase if the price of gasoline and diesel remains at the current level for long month.

Top 10 car sales January – March 2022

All engines combined, we find a hierarchy not really upset, with first places monopolized by the Peugeot 208, Renault Clio and Citroën C3. The new Peugeot 308 and the Renault Arkana confirm their good health and enter the Top 10 for this first quarter of 2022.

Source: AAA Data

Top 10 Hybrids March 2022

In the details of the new engines for the month of March, we find a Top 10 composed as follows for hybrids (HEV):

Source: AAA Data

These results are interesting since they show that more than 42% of Arkana’s sales are made with the E-Tech hybrid engine that we tested and validated. The same goes for the Renault Captur, whose hybrid engine represents nearly 25% of registrations. Finally, note that the small Yaris Cross SUV is emulated, since it is on the heels of its little sister Yaris in March, and that it even allows itself to pass it in terms of registrations since the beginning of the year, with 5512 vehicles sold against 3720 for the sedan.

## Top 10 plug-in hybrids March 2022

As for plug-in hybrids (PHEV), particularly popular with companies, the Top 10 for this month of March 2022 is as follows:

Source: AAA Data

In this top 10, we find four positions occupied by Peugeot, Citroën and DS, which share the same powertrain with a four-cylinder petrol unit and a 13.2 kWh battery. An engine that knows how to behave like a simple hybrid even when the battery is discharged, as our tests have shown. In addition, note also the good places of the so-called premium models with the DS7, the Mercedes GLC and Classe, the Volvo XC40 and XC60 in this top 10.

## Top 10 Electric March 2022

Finally, the Top 10 electric cars for this month of March 2022 are as follows:

Source: AAA Data

Tesla confirms its insolent good health with the Model 3 at the top of the podium, still ahead of the Spring and the e-208. The Fiat 500 remains unstoppable from its 4th place. Note that the Zoe slips from 3rd place to 6th and that the Model Y loses a place to 7th compared to last month. The Kia EV6, voted car of the year 2022, has not yet managed to enter the Top 10, just like its cousin Hyundai Ioniq 5, currently absent from this top.

In the end, the automotive market therefore continues to suffer the consequences of the global pandemic, with a shortage of semiconductors which is delaying deliveries and affecting stocks. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine, with its consequences on the supply of raw materials and the rise in its prices, has a negative influence on an industry which will still have to adapt to a difficult context… not to mention that this period of crisis , coupled with the rise in gasoline and energy prices, is prompting households to be cautious.