Plug-in hybrid sales in France driven by Chinese automakers, Digi Mart USA News: Plug-in hybrids have drawn sharp criticism from some environmental associations, which argue that the technology often produces much higher real-world fuel consumption than official figures. Data collected by the European Union through the OBFCM system, mandatory on new vehicles since 2021, has confirmed sometimes enormous gaps, largely because electric mode is used less than expected, especially by companies, as was generally the case at the start.
The situation is now changing in France. Private buyers are increasingly driving demand for this type of powertrain.
According to figures from Mobilians, the employers’ organization that represents the automotive sector, private-buyer sales rose 57.3% in October. Excluding short-term rental companies, which grew 115%, the boom among businesses is clearly over, with company sales down 27.3%, due to a less favorable tax regime, including a weight-based malus introduced in 2025 and a benefit-in-kind system now limited to electric vehicles.
The decline among companies mirrors the situation at traditional manufacturers, whose plug-in hybrid sales have nearly halved. Even so, plug-in hybrid sales rose 14.25% in the same month across all channels, the second-strongest growth rate, though well behind the 81.65% increase for zero-emission vehicles.
That growth is mainly attributable to Chinese automakers, which now represent 58.8% of plug-in hybrid volumes. BYD leads by a wide margin year to date with 18,663 registrations, 7,291 more than its nearest rival, Audi.
Chinese brands are the only ones offering truly affordable models to a broad market. The least expensive, the recently launched BYD Dolphin G-DMi, starts below a Renault Clio E-Tech full hybrid that lacks a plug.
Still, its larger sibling, the BYD Atto 2 DM-i, took first place in plug-in hybrid sales in October by a wide margin, with 2,166 units, while the Jaecoo 7 placed second with 666 units. Three other BYD models complete the top five.
The best-selling European model, the Audi A3, ranks only sixth for the month, but it climbs to second place year to date with growth of 26.77%. It still trails the Atto 2 DM-i by a wide margin and is among the few European models showing growth, alongside the recently renewed Q3.
Despite resistance from the Volkswagen Group and the Toyota C-HR, plug-in hybrids are increasingly a business of Chinese manufacturers.
French-brand models are in a second tier. The highest-ranked, the Peugeot 3008 PHEV, finishes only 15th over the first ten months with 1,605 registrations, fewer than the Atto 2 DM-i sold in October alone.
Whether the recent agreement limiting Chinese hybrid imports to 350,000 vehicles per year will change the picture in coming years remains uncertain, especially since many Chinese companies plan to build some models in Europe to circumvent the restriction.
