French sales fall 10% in May as decline slows; Hyundai, Fiat, Opel gain

PARIS -- French new-car registrations fell by 10 percent in May, a smaller drop than in previous months this year as several brands made significant gains, including Hyundai, Fiat, Opel and Kia. Sales were down 23 percent in April.

However, the semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues continued to suppress deliveries, with stoppages at plants such as Renault’s Douai factory in northern France. 

There were 126,813 passenger cars sold in May, according to the trade group PFA. However, the decline was less than it could have been, because there were 21 selling days in May 2022 compared with 19 in May 2021. Adjusted for an equal number of selling days, May sales were down by 19 percent.

Sales are down 17 percent through the first five months of the year, PFA said. That figure is 36 percent below 2019’s pre-coronavirus level. 

Volume brands with double-digit sales increases in May were Hyundai, up 30 percent; Fiat (+20 percent); Opel (+19 percent) and Kia (+15 percent). 

Tesla saw sales drop 93 percent to just 152 units from 2,111, attributable to its strategy of making most deliveries at the end of the quarter. Other major brands with significant declines included Volvo, down 62 percent; Seat, down 56 percent; Volkswagen, down 33 percent; and Citroen, down 30 percent.

Alternative energy powertrains continued to surge, with full-electric at 12 percent through May, compared with 7.1 percent in 2021; plug-in hybrids at 8.5 percent compared with 7.6 percent; and LPG/gasoline dual fuel at 4 percent compared with 2.3 percent. Diesel share dropped to 17 percent from 24 percent.

The Peugeot 208 was the best-selling model through May, with 34,992 sales and a 5.8 percent market share. The Renault Arkana compact crossover, imported from South Korea, continued to gain sales momentum, finishing in ninth place for the month with 12,954 sales.