The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car of any kind in France in September. In October it registered 1,748 cars and finished eighth among electric models. Tesla as a brand still grew: its French registrations rose 35.3% year on year, according to the car industry association PFA.
France registered 149,341 new passenger cars in October 2026, 7.0% more than a year earlier, or 11.9% more after adjusting for one fewer working day. Battery-electric cars took 61,958 of them, up 81.7%, a 41.5% share, the Journal de l'Automobile reported from AAA Data figures. That is just below September's record of 41.6%. A year earlier the share was 24%.
Where the Tesla figures come from
The PFA's monthly announcement gives Tesla only as a percentage change. The unit counts here come from its October press kit, which lists year-to-date registrations for France's top 100 models. Subtracting the September kit's totals gives each model's October figure. The same subtraction reproduces AAA Data's published October numbers for the Renault Twingo and the Renault 5 exactly.
| Tesla in France | October 2025 | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Model Y | 1,660 | 1,748 |
| Model 3 | 114 | 662 |
| Both models | 1,774 | 2,410 |
Together the two models grew 35.9%, in line with the PFA's figure for the brand. Most of that growth came from the Model 3, which still does not qualify for France's electric-car bonus. The Model Y was up 5.3%.
From 8,183 to 1,748
The Model Y registered 8,183 cars in September. Tesla bunches its deliveries into the last month of each quarter, so the first month is usually far weaker. A year earlier, October had brought 1,660.
Renault's small electric cars led the month instead:
| Electric model | October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Renault Twingo | 4,747 |
| Renault 5 | 4,666 |
| Renault Scénic | 3,037 |
| Citroën ë-C3 | 2,736 |
| Renault 4 | 1,786 |
| Tesla Model Y | 1,748 |
The figures come from the PFA kits. The Peugeot e-208, which AAA Data ranks third among electric cars, is missing because the kit counts every Peugeot 208 together, whatever the powertrain. AAA Data's full ranking, as reported by the trade site Auto Infos, puts the Model Y eighth. Renault alone registered 14,610 electric cars in October, 69.6% more than a year earlier.
The year so far
| Best-sellers, January–October 2026 | Registrations |
|---|---|
| Peugeot 208 | 64,128 |
| Dacia Sandero | 50,707 |
| Renault Clio | 43,944 |
| Peugeot 2008 | 41,172 |
| Tesla Model Y | 39,589 |
| Renault 5 | 36,662 |
The Model Y is fifth among all cars this year and the highest-placed model sold only as an electric car. The Renault 5 halved its gap to the Model Y in a single month: from 5,845 registrations at the end of September to 2,927 at the end of October. The Model 3 has 7,940.
What it means for buyers
Four in ten new cars in France are now electric, and the best-sellers among them are small Renaults that cost far less than a Model Y. With two months left, the Renault 5 is 2,927 registrations behind the Model Y for the year. December is the last month of Tesla's quarter; in September, the last month of the previous one, the Model Y registered 8,183.