It is a symbolic victory for Renault, which is gradually catching up on the market. Zoé, the electric car of the French automaker, was the best-selling car in Germany in July, ahead of all its competitors. With 2,850 registrations in one month, the Zoé leads the way in a growing market, and is above all ahead of Volkswagen's e-Golf, the German model which is most popular across the Rhine.
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For Renault, this success is a continuation of Zoé's very good figures in Europe in recent months. The model was thus the best-selling electric car on the continent during the first half of the year, with growth of almost 50%. The car also passes the Tesla Model 3, which was a large sales leader last year.
"A form of revenge for Renault"
At the microphone of Europe 1, Flavien Neuvy, director of the Cetelem observatory, believes that these good figures sound like "a form of revenge for Renault and Zoe". And the specialist recalled that "for a very long time, other manufacturers, and Germanic ones in particular, made fun of Renault, saying that the electric would never work, and that it was a failure announced for Renault". However, he concludes, in reality, "Renault was one step ahead"
This electric fight has only just begun, with a market share that is taking off (nearly 7% since the start of the year against barely 2% in 2019), and with manufacturers offering more and more models, well helped by ecological bonuses. And consumers are starting to take the plunge.
However, will electricity serve as a lifeline for a Renault group in difficulty in recent months? "It's a bit early to tell", tempers Flavien Neuvy, who predicts that "competition will strengthen in the coming quarters". "German manufacturers want to catch up, and are putting billions of euros into research and development," he said. The Volkswagen Germans are also counting heavily on their new car, the ID3, which will be marketed in France from mid-September.