Europe 1 with AFP 6:45 p.m., February 5, 2024, modified at 6:45 p.m., February 5, 2024

Electric cars are not of much greater interest to potential buyers than last year, raising fears of a slowdown in the market, according to a study presented Monday by Deloitte.

9% of French people surveyed would choose an electric car as their next vehicle, compared to 7% in 2022, according to this survey carried out online in October 2023. 41% would want a gasoline or diesel car, and 19% a hybrid.

Other markets are moving downward on electricity for the first time, such as Germany, where buyers were shaken by variations in the bonus, or the United States. “We are on a plateau. We are not alarmist, but it is soft,” analyzes Guillaume Crunelle of the Deloitte firm.

A “worrying” situation

“It’s quite worrying if we look at the trajectory necessary to achieve the objectives in terms of the fight against global warming. It’s a bit strange to say that for electric vehicles, but we will have to pass the second” , underlines the expert.

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The price of 100% electric models remains a major obstacle: a growing proportion of French people surveyed are not ready to invest more than 30,000 euros in their new car (62% in 2023 compared to 56% in 2022).

Autonomy and the time required to recharge the vehicle are two other handicaps. In this context, and as demonstrated by the collapse of sales in Germany at the start of 2024, “there is a real subject of dependence on subsidies”, underlines Guillaume Crunelle.

“The subject does not evolve over the years”

After the first models offered in higher categories, the prices of electric cars are falling with the launch of mid-range models. But "from year to year, the step taken by the manufacturer is eaten up by the expectations of the consumer", who wants more marked reductions, underlines Guillaume Crunelle.

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Furthermore, a large majority of car buyers would like to benefit from ranges greater than 400 kilometers, as much as with a thermal car, which involves large and expensive batteries. Enough to undermine the new offers of economical cars with small batteries.

“We have difficulty getting rid of the car which can do much more than what I need, and the subject does not change over the years,” underlines the expert. This survey was carried out online between October 12 and 16, 2023 with more than 27,000 people in 26 countries, including 1,000 people in France.