INTERVIEW
The coronavirus epidemic, followed by containment measures, put the French car market on a halt. According to data released Friday by manufacturers, the sector fell 88.8% in April. Like the whole market, French groups were affected, and PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel) saw its registrations of new passenger cars collapse (-84.3%), as did the Renault group (-83.8%), with Dacia and Alpine, according to figures from the Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers (CCFA). At the microphone of Europe 1, François Roudier, CCFA spokesperson, returns to this crisis and to the coming recovery of activity. The real recovery, he warns, will not take place before the summer, or even the month of September.
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In this period of almost total market paralysis, which vehicles were registered? "These were vehicles, essentially registered by the PSA and Renault groups, which were for medical personnel, public authorities, as well as deliveries directly to customers," explains François Roudier. "It's a few thousand vehicles, not at all what we traditionally do."
"Production levels are very low"
Regarding the gradual resumption of activity from May 11, the CCFA spokesperson plans two phases. First of all, "a restart phase which will start at the end of the confinement and will probably extend until the end of June, with the vehicles produced, registered, ordered, paid, and which must be sold. stock". Then will come the time of the second phase, that of the revival, "from July, especially in September", during which "we will sell the vehicles produced from the end of the deconfinement", details François Roudier.
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In any event, the recovery will be slow. "The production levels are very low," warns François Roudier, "the recovery in the factories was made especially to validate the health protocols and see how we adapted the production to these protocols". And to continue: "We will gradually have everyone who goes to work at the factory, then car exits a little bit at a time". But these cars that will leave the factory, must be delivered, and not remain crowded in the parking lot. However, "the car delivery trucks are experiencing a terrible slowdown", explains the guest from Europe 1. "And after that, these cars must arrive at an open dealership that can receive customers".
The fate of concessions, a "complex subject", also worries François Roudier. "Everything is ready to reopen them," he says. But, he adds, mentioning the deconfinement maps published by the government, "the concessions in the red zones may not open and will not be able to deliver either".