The sale of cars for individuals continues to plummet in France and Europe.
Except for the electric and plug-in hybrid market.
The latter jumped to the point that observers did not hesitate to speak of the “2020 turn”.
Ile-de-France is no exception.
In 2020, the share of electric vehicles in vehicle sales rose from 3% to 6%, and for plug-in hybrids from 2% to 6%.
And all this despite prices that remain high.
Thanks to figures from "AAA DATA, expert in augmented data", the Parisian data cell has mapped the sales of hybrid and electric cars on all vehicle sales, according to the cities of Ile-de-France. .
Admittedly, as we could foresee, the most important electricity purchasing areas are in Paris (9%) and in Yvelines (8.5%), and the weakest, in Seine-Saint-Denis (5, 6%).
But the menu allows to bring many nuances to this too Manichean division of Ile-de-France.
“In fact, we see that the large shares are also found in areas where there are many single-family homes,” notes Cécile Goubet, president of Avere France, the national association for the development of electric mobility.
“It shows the importance of infrastructure.
Charging a vehicle is still much easier today in a single-family home, she continues.
While, even if things are progressing rapidly, in areas where there are collective buildings, it is still difficult ”.
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The Ile-de-France regions are however working to catch up.
The energy unions, which bring together the municipalities or intercommunalities, deploy their networks.
Sipperec, which already has 104 charging points, plans to create 168 new ones in 2021 and 120 in 2022. It is again the Greater Paris Metropolis, which plans to install 5,000 Metropolis stations by 2022. It is again the city of Paris, which awarded Total the contract for the management of nearly 2,000 charging stations.
Efforts to achieve the goal of 12,000 points across the region before 2024. But for now, recharging is still often a headache.
This probably also explains the higher proportion of hybrid vehicles in the inner suburbs, where collective housing does not have individual sockets.
But the explosion of electricity is also the result of the context.
First of all, a general awareness.
Perhaps also from the perspective of a ban on thermal vehicles on a metropolitan scale, by 2030: “The desire to reduce the environmental impact of its trips is one of the primary reasons for purchasing an electric car, also affirms Cécile Goubet.
In a study we conducted with Ipsos and published in December 2020, 46% of new buyers said they had done so for this reason ”.
Vehicles that are still expensive despite the aid
Finally, sales of plug-in hybrids and electrics have benefited from aid granted by the State or the Metropolis of Greater Paris.
The state ecological bonus - up to 7,000 euros for an electric and 2,000 euros for a plug-in hybrid - applies without distinction of income.
Aid from the Greater Paris Metropolis can be added (from 1,000 euros to 6,000 euros depending on income and type of vehicle).
In the event of a trade-in of a diesel vehicle registered before 2006 or of a gasoline before 2011, the conversion premium may be added to it.
Depending on income, it varies from 2,500 to 5,000 euros.
And in addition to the latter two, residents of a city located in the metropolitan ZFE (Low Emission Zone) can still obtain 1,000 euros.
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Cumulated, the aid can reach 19,000 euros for the most modest households and for a new electric vehicle.
Finally, for the remainder to be paid, since March 17, the State has offered a microcredit of 5,000 euros for small incomes.
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Nevertheless, despite these big nudges, electricity still represents a significant investment.
Thus, a new Zoe starts at 32,500 euros.
Or at least 13,500 euros, even with all the cumulative aid.
That's more than 35,000 euros for the electric Peugeot e-208 (excluding bonus) or 43,800 euros for a Tesla Model 3 (excluding bonus), the 3 vehicles yet on the podium of electric sales in Ile-de-France.
As for the plug-in hybrid, it starts at 33,000 euros for a Renault Captur Plug-in Hybrid, the cheapest on the market at the moment.
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Certainly we can count on savings on vehicle maintenance (for 100% electric only) and fuel.
“The budget can easily be divided by three, or even five,” assures Cécile Goubet.
But the initial investment remains substantial.
This explains why the dark red areas of the map - where the share of sales of electric or hybrid vehicles is the most important - are located in the basins of wealthy populations, rather to the west of Île-de-France.
“The financial means of the inhabitants are necessarily expressed in this type of purchase.
And even today, you have to be a CSP + to be able to buy an electric car, ”admits an automotive specialist.
The arrival of the Dacia Spring this year, the brand's low-cost electric model, could perhaps “reshuffle the cards a bit”, he still believes.
Its list price starts at 16,990 euros, or 12,403 euros with the only ecological bonus.
And less than 9,000 euros if you trade in an old diesel or gasoline vehicle.