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In April 2022, new car registrations fell to 108,733 from 140,426 in April 2021, a drop of 22.6%. Even the second-hand market is engaged, for the fifth consecutive month, on a steep downward slope.
MG is one of the rare manufacturers to have a smile on a new car market in decline for the eleventh consecutive month. © Erick Fontaine / Digital
The French automobile market continues to plummet, the eleventh consecutive since June 2021. In April 2022 (20 working days), registrations of new passenger cars were 108,733, a drop of 22.6% compared to April 2021 (21 working days), and even 42.22% compared to April 2019, the reference year, as it preceded the health crisis.
Whether it’s the analysts from NGC-Data or AAA Data, suppliers of registration figures each month, the latter are unanimous on the reasons for this umpteenth fall, which are more or less the same from one month to the next. The shortage of semiconductors continues to penalize production lines and in fact lengthens vehicle deliveries. But that’s not all. The decline in purchasing power, the rise in fuel prices, the war in Ukraine and the political situation in France are all obstacles to the purchase of a new vehicle.
As a result, over the first four months of 2022 (84 working days), only 474,115 new vehicles have passed. This corresponds to a decrease of 18.57% compared to 2021 (the same number of working days) and 36.07% compared to 2019, over the same period.
On the manufacturer side, the figures are hardly encouraging. We start with the French brands, whose monthly sales – compared to April 2021 – have collapsed: -33.94% for Citroën, -32.26% for Peugeot and -31.77% for Renault.
Foreign brands are not immune to this haemorrhage either. Thus, the German manufacturers take the broth: -31.19%, -30.94%, -28.48% and -18.63% respectively for Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes and BMW. Even Porsche is no exception, with a drop of 35.23%.
The other brands impacted are Toyota (-20.38%), Hyundai (-8.43%), Volvo (-50.12%), Jaguar (-72.20%), Land Rover (-43%), Mazda (-30.10%) and Suzuki (-24.56%).
Nissan finds colors and can calmly prepare the arrival of the Ariya. © Erick Fontaine / Digital
But let’s be reassured, there are manufacturers who are smiling such as DS (+1.03%), Dacia (+6.54%), Alpine (+158.9%), Cupra (+161 .96%), Ford (+10.88%), Nissan (+47.84%), Kia (+9.09%), Mitsubishi (+158%), Honda (+19.85%) and MG ( +1042.11%).
Note that this decline also affects motorcycles (-12.5%) and, more surprisingly, carts without a license (-27%), like the Citroën AMI.
Fifth month of decline for the occasion
Unfortunately, this decline does not only affect the new market. The opportunity”also engages – for the fifth consecutive month – on the same steep downward slope at -16.9% in April with 434,730 transactions” (source: AAA Data).
The fault is a lack of vehicles, the consequence of which is to drive up prices. As Marie-Laure Nivot, Market Intelligence Manager at AAA Data, points out, “we see very clearly that customers are looking for second-hand models that are more affordable and economical to use, in particular electric, hybrid or bioethanol-powered models“.
The progressive implementation of ZFE-m by certain municipalities, which excludes the Crit’Air 4, Crit’Air 5 stickers and non-eligible vehicles, means that the French are looking for hybrid engines (Crit’Air 1 and 2) and bioethanol (Crit’Air 1, 2 or 3). Even more, it is the Crit’Air 0 used electric vehicles, which benefit from an ecological bonus of 1000 euros, which “however, almost doubled transactions over the month as since the start of the year“.
As for predicting the future, analysts do not risk it. All refer to a situation that cannot change before 2023-2024.