Electric car sales rise sharply in 2026: grants and eligibility in France explained
Up to €5,700 is available for lower income households
The Renault 5 E-Tech arrived in showrooms in October 2024 and has since become best-selling electric car and the seventh best overall
Renault
Electric cars are taking an increasingly large share of the French vehicle market, with demand boosted by higher petrol prices and government grants that can reduce the purchase cost by several thousand euros.
New electric vehicle registrations rose by 55% in the first five months of 2026 compared to a year earlier, according to industry figures. Electric cars accounted for 27.8% of all new passenger car registrations during the period, up from 17.8% in 2025.
The trend comes as motorists look to reduce fuel costs and take advantage of state support schemes, including grants of up to €5,700 for lower-income households buying eligible electric vehicles.
Manufacturers had reported rising orders in March and April, which they attributed in part to higher petrol and diesel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
New electric vehicle registrations rose by 55% over the first five months of 2026, reaching 185,714 registrations compared to 119,475 over the same period in 2025. Electric cars accounted for 27.8% of all new passenger car registrations between January and May, up from 17.8% a year earlier.
For May alone, electric and hybrid vehicles combined represented 35% of the market, their highest share in two years.
Stellantis – owner of Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Fiat and Alfa Romeo – and Renault had previously said that the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices, linked to the conflict in the Middle East, was behind renewed interest in electric vehicles.
Grants to get an electric car in France
Renault has France’s best-selling electric car, the Renault 5 E-Tech, which arrived in showrooms in October 2024 and has since become the seventh best-selling car overall.
Its starting price is €20,680 for the “Five” version, including reductions made possible by government grants.
These include the CPVPE (coup de pouce voitures particulières électriques), formerly called the bonus écologique, and €310 from the prime CEE complémentaire.
Another vehicle from the Renault group, the Dacia Spring, is cheaper than the Renault 5 E-Tech, with an entry-level price of €16,900. However, it no longer qualifies for government grants as it is manufactured in China and shipped to Europe.
To qualify for the CPVPE, cars must be fully electric, weigh less than 2.4 tonnes, cost under €47,000, and achieve a score environnemental of at least 60 points.
The score environnemental is based on the total carbon footprint involved in manufacturing a vehicle, including transport from the factory, meaning cars produced on the other side of the world are penalised.
The government publishes a list of cars that meet the 60-point threshold – its latest update, issued in mid-April, included 1,027 qualifying vehicles.
The amount of the CPVPE varies according to both the vehicle and household income.
The criteria are divided into three income categories:
- Ménages en situation de précarité énergétique: households with taxable incomes below €24,031 for a single person or below €56,580 for a household of five. These households may qualify for grants of up to €5,700.
- Ménages modestes: households with taxable incomes below €29,253 for a single person, rising in stages to €68,877 for a household of five. These households may qualify for grants of up to €4,700.
- Autres ménages: households with taxable incomes above the thresholds for ménages modestes. These households may qualify for grants of up to €3,500.
A total of 128,484 new passenger cars were registered in France in May, according to the PFA. Despite the increase, the market remains slightly down overall in 2026, with registrations for the first five months of the year falling by 0.64% compared to the same period in 2025.
The market also remains well below pre-pandemic levels, with registrations during the first five months of 2026 still 28.55% lower than in the equivalent period of 2019.
Among major manufacturers, Stellantis recorded a 7.71% decline in registrations in May compared to a year earlier, while Renault's registrations fell by 7.61%. Toyota increased registrations by 4.24%, while Volkswagen posted a 1.55% rise.
