France's automotive industry recorded 1.7 million vehicle sales in its domestic market. The figures reveal a market in transition, with electric vehicle registrations surpassing hybrids and SUVs now constituting over a third of all passenger car sales.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the French auto industry employed 538,000 direct workers, down 1.2% from 2021
- France exported €49.2 billion worth of vehicles in 2022, up 8% YoY
- In 2022, France's automobile production reached 1,645,226 vehicles, marking a 5.2% decline from the previous year due to supply chain disruptions
- French auto R&D spending reached €5.8 billion in 2022, 4.2% of revenue
- In 2022, France sold 1,545,142 new passenger cars domestically, down 10.4% from 2021
France’s auto industry remains resilient, supported by strong production and steady growth in recent months.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment and Labor25 stats
01
In 2022, the French auto industry employed 538,000 direct workers, down 1.2% from 2021
02
Renault Group had 93,000 employees in France in 2022, 45% in manufacturing
03
Stellantis France workforce totaled 110,000 in 2022, with 60,000 in production roles
04
Auto supplier sector employed 320,000 in France 2022
05
R&D staff in French auto industry numbered 75,000 in 2022, up 4%
06
Women represented 22% of French auto manufacturing workforce in 2022
07
Average annual salary in French auto sector was €42,500 in 2022
08
15,000 jobs lost in French auto suppliers due to chip crisis 2022
09
Apprenticeships in auto industry reached 28,000 in France 2022
10
Hauts-de-France region hosted 180,000 auto jobs in 2022, 33% national total
11
Temporary contracts accounted for 18% of auto workforce in France 2022
12
Engineers in French auto R&D: 45,000 in 2022
13
Unemployment rate in auto sector was 4.8% in France Q4 2022
14
12,500 new hires in French auto manufacturing in 2022
15
Average age of auto workers in France was 44 years in 2022
16
EV battery plants created 5,000 jobs in France by end-2022
17
Union membership in French auto industry: 35% of workforce 2022
18
Training hours per employee averaged 52 in French auto firms 2022
19
8% workforce reduction at Renault France due to restructuring 2022
20
Supplier SME employment: 210,000 in France 2022
21
Night shift workers: 25% of total auto manufacturing staff France 2022
22
Digital skills training reached 40,000 auto workers in 2022 France
23
Occupational accidents: 12.5 per 1,000 workers in French auto 2022
24
Remote work adoption: 15% in auto admin roles France 2022
25
Youth under 25: 12% of auto workforce France 2022
Interpretation
Employment and Labor Interpretation
While Renault and Stellantis anchor the workforce, the French auto industry is quietly shifting gears from its production-line past, investing heavily in R&D and digital skills, yet still wrestling with the perennial challenges of an aging, predominantly male workforce and the precarious nature of temporary contracts.
02 · Category
Exports and International Trade25 stats
01
France exported €49.2 billion worth of vehicles in 2022, up 8% YoY
02
Vehicle exports volume from France: 2.8 million units in 2022
03
Top export destination: Italy with €5.1 billion in French autos 2022
04
Renault exported 1.2 million vehicles from France in 2022, 55% of production
05
Stellantis France exports valued €32 billion in 2022 to 90 countries
06
Auto parts exports from France hit €27.5 billion in 2022
07
EU accounted for 72% of French vehicle exports volume 2022
08
UK imports from France: 180,000 vehicles worth €4.2 billion 2022
09
China received €1.8 billion French auto exports in 2022, mainly engines
10
Trade surplus in autos: €22.1 billion for France in 2022
11
Spanish imports from France: 450,000 cars, €8.5 billion 2022
12
German market took 320,000 French vehicles in 2022
13
EV exports from France grew 35% to 120,000 units in 2022
14
Africa received 15% of French LCV exports in 2022, 75,000 units
15
US imports French autos worth €2.1 billion in 2022, luxury models
16
Logistics cost for exports: €3.2 billion for French auto 2022
17
Turkey imported 95,000 French vehicles in 2022, €1.9B
18
Middle East exports: €2.8 billion from France autos 2022
19
Brazil took €900 million French auto parts in 2022
20
Export growth to Eastern Europe: 12% for French cars 2022
21
Japanese market: 25,000 French premium cars exported 2022
22
Custom duties collected on French auto exports: €450 million 2022
23
Multimodal exports: 40% sea freight for French vehicles 2022
24
Top exported model: Renault Clio with 280,000 units abroad 2022
25
Imports into France: €15.4 billion vehicles in 2022
Interpretation
Exports and International Trade Interpretation
France's auto industry, while clearly addicted to selling cars to its European neighbors, is diversifying its global clientele and seeing its trade surplus balloon faster than a baguette in the oven, proving it's more than just a one-trick Renault Clio.
03 · Category
Production Statistics30 stats
01
In 2022, France's automobile production reached 1,645,226 vehicles, marking a 5.2% decline from the previous year due to supply chain disruptions
02
Renault Group manufactured 456,000 vehicles in France in 2022, accounting for 27.7% of total national output
03
Stellantis produced 1,012,000 vehicles at its French plants in 2022, including models like Peugeot 208 and Citroën C4
04
France's light commercial vehicle production hit 512,000 units in 2022, led by Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Expert
05
In Q1 2023, French auto factories output 378,450 vehicles, down 12% year-over-year amid semiconductor shortages
06
The Douvrin engine plant produced 1.2 million engines in 2022 for PSA and Renault groups
07
France assembled 245,000 electric vehicles in 2022, with Flins plant contributing 150,000 Renault ZOE units
08
Total French vehicle production capacity utilization was 72% in 2022, affected by chip crisis
09
Peugeot's Mulhouse plant produced 410,000 vehicles in 2022, primarily 3008 and 5008 SUVs
10
In 2021, France's auto sector produced 1,735,000 vehicles, a record before the 2022 dip
11
Renault's Cléon plant output 900,000 engines in 2022, including TCe and hybrid variants
12
French battery production for EVs reached 15 GWh in 2022 at Vertenay and Billy-Berclau sites
13
Citroën's Sochaux plant assembled 365,000 vehicles in 2022, focusing on C3 and new ë-C3
14
France's heavy vehicle production was 28,500 units in 2022, up 3% from 2021
15
Douai-Seclin plant (Stellantis) produced 420,000 light commercials in 2022
16
In 2023 H1, French EV production surged 25% to 180,000 units
17
Total French parts manufacturing output value was €45 billion in 2022
18
Renault's Dieppe plant specialized in 28,000 Alpine A110 sports cars in 2022
19
France produced 1.1 million powertrains in 2022 across 10 sites
20
Sandouville truck plant output 42,000 Renault Trucks in 2022
21
French forging and casting for auto parts reached 2.5 million tons in 2022
22
Hordain plant (Renault) produced 250,000 hybrid transmissions in 2022
23
In 2022, 65% of French vehicles were produced in Île-de-France and Hauts-de-France regions
24
Total stamping output for body panels was 4.2 million tons in French plants 2022
25
French OEMs produced 320,000 SUVs in 2022, up 15% YoY
26
Assembly line efficiency in French plants averaged 85% in 2022
27
France's 2022 vehicle production per capita was 24.5 units per 1,000 inhabitants
28
Plastic components production for autos hit 1.8 million tons in France 2022
29
Wiring harness output from French suppliers was 120 million km in 2022
30
French auto production greenhouse gas emissions totaled 12 Mt CO2eq in 2022
Interpretation
Production Statistics Interpretation
Even with Stellantis and Renault carrying the French auto industry like a baguette under each arm, their 2022 output still shrank due to global supply chain hiccups, proving that even a nation built on Citroëns and Peugeots can't just honk its way through a semiconductor shortage.
More related reading
04 · Category
R&D and Innovation24 stats
01
French auto R&D spending reached €5.8 billion in 2022, 4.2% of revenue
02
Renault invested €1.9 billion in EV tech R&D in France 2022
03
Stellantis France R&D budget: €2.1 billion focused on software-defined vehicles 2022
04
Patents filed by French auto industry: 2,450 in 2022, up 7%
05
Battery R&D projects funded: €1.2 billion via France 2030 plan 2022
06
Hydrogen vehicle prototypes tested: 50 by French OEMs in 2022
07
Autonomous driving test km: 1.2 million by Renault in France 2022
08
Software engineers hired for ADAS: 3,500 in French auto 2022
09
Collaborative R&D platforms: 15 involving 200 SMEs in France 2022
10
AI applications in manufacturing: 120 projects funded 2022 France
11
Solid-state battery research: €450 million allocated by PSA Labs 2022
12
Connected car cybersecurity patents: 180 from French firms 2022
13
5G testbeds for V2X in 8 French regions 2022
14
Biomaterial innovations: 25 new composites tested 2022 France auto
15
Digital twin simulations saved €200 million in prototyping 2022
16
Quantum computing pilots for optimization: 3 by Renault 2022
17
Recycling tech R&D: 95% material recovery achieved in labs 2022
18
AR/VR training modules deployed in 20 plants 2022 France
19
Carbon capture prototypes for factories: 5 sites piloted 2022
20
Over-air update systems rolled out on 500,000 vehicles via French R&D 2022
21
Swarm robotics for assembly lines: tested at Flins plant 2022
22
Predictive maintenance AI reduced downtime 20% in 15 factories 2022
23
Sustainable aviation fuel from auto waste: pilot producing 100 tons 2022
24
Vehicle-to-grid tech standardized by 10 French labs 2022
Interpretation
R&D and Innovation Interpretation
France's auto industry, in a bid to avoid becoming a charming relic, is feverishly spending billions to reinvent itself as a software-powered, patent-filing, battery-obsessed laboratory on wheels.
05 · Category
Sales and Revenue27 stats
01
In 2022, France sold 1,545,142 new passenger cars domestically, down 10.4% from 2021
02
Renault brand captured 24.6% market share in France with 380,452 units sold in 2022
03
Peugeot sold 318,456 vehicles in France 2022, holding 20.6% share, led by 208 and 208 GTi
04
Electric vehicle sales in France reached 238,000 units in 2022, 15.4% of total market
05
Total French auto market revenue generated €62.5 billion in 2022 from new vehicle sales
06
Citroën sold 182,734 cars in domestic market 2022, 11.8% share
07
Hybrid vehicle registrations surged 22% to 215,000 units in France 2022
08
Dacia achieved 109,000 sales in France 2022, 7.1% share with Sandero bestseller
09
SUV sales dominated with 562,000 units, 36.4% of French PC market in 2022
10
In Q1 2023, French new car sales fell 17% to 344,100 units
11
Used car sales in France totaled 5.2 million transactions in 2022, value €55 billion
12
Tesla Model 3 was top EV with 40,128 registrations in France 2022
13
Average new car price in France rose 8.5% to €29,450 in 2022
14
Renault Clio led sales with 95,659 units in France 2022
15
Fleet sales represented 42% of total French PC registrations in 2022
16
Peugeot 208 sold 89,234 units, second bestseller in France 2022
17
Premium segment sales grew 5% to 120,000 units in France 2022
18
Diesel share dropped to 24.5% of sales with 378,000 units in 2022 France
19
Online car sales platform transactions hit 15% of total in France 2022
20
Light commercial vehicle sales reached 452,000 in France 2022, up 2%
21
Export-oriented sales from France totaled €47 billion in 2022
22
Women buyers represented 42% of new car purchases in France 2022
23
Average financing rate for new cars was 3.8% in France 2022
24
Top 10 brands held 72% market share in France 2022 sales
25
Plug-in hybrid sales doubled to 65,000 units in France 2022
26
Regional sales leader: Île-de-France with 285,000 new cars in 2022
27
France auto aftermarket revenue was €18.4 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Sales and Revenue Interpretation
Despite a contracting market and rising prices, France's auto industry is stubbornly rewiring itself, with Renault and Peugeot battling for the soul of a nation now obsessed with SUVs, while EVs creep past hybrids in the race to make diesel a relic.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). France Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "France Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/france-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "France Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
73 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
ev-sales.blogspot.com