One million electric vehicles produced in France in 2027: is Emmanuel Macron's objective achievable?

Will France succeed in producing one million electric vehicles in 2027, as the president assured Monday after an ecological planning council at the Élysée? This objective is not new. The president declared in October 2022, in an interview with Les Échos, at the opening of the Paris Motor Show: “Our objective is to produce 2 million electric vehicles in 2030, with French and foreign investments creating jobs in batteries or even assembly. It's ambitious, but I have confidence in the excellence of our sector, in its managers and its employees, and we can achieve it. We will reach one million electric vehicles produced in France in 2027.” But is this desire of Emmanuel Macron realistic?

In 2022, all engines combined, Stellantis produced 615,000 vehicles in France and Renault 310,000. Knowing that electric vehicles only represented a minority share. On paper, it is indeed possible to achieve the objective set by the Head of State: Stellantis thanks to its electric vehicles produced in France under the brands DS, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën, as well as Renault which has chosen to producing its electric vehicles in the north of France, could reach these volumes.

In 2027, manufacturers will have the industrial capacity. Renault will have deployed its range: the long-awaited R5 but also the 4L, the Scenic will be added to the Megane E-Tech already produced in Douai and the battery-powered utility vehicles manufactured in Batilly (Meurthe-et-Moselle). In Douai (North), the factory's capacity is to reach 400,000 vehicles per year. And even a million vehicles in the long term, without any date having been given by the Losange for this increase in pace.

For its part, Stellantis announced that by 2024 it would have the capacity to reach one million electric vehicles by combining battery vehicles produced in Poissy (Opel Mokka and DS3), Mulhouse (308 and soon the new 408), Sochaux (3008 and soon 5008), Rennes (a Citroën SUV) and Hordain (utility vehicles). All should be in production within a year and a half.

This does not mean, however, that one million of these vehicles will actually be produced in 2027 nor that two million will leave French factories in 2030. “It is the commercial success of these models which will guarantee such a level of production,” recalls - we go to one of these manufacturers. We do not know today what the market will be in 2027. This will depend on many factors: state aid, the price of fuel, electricity, etc. »

Manufacturers who had for decades built giant factories whose industrial capacities could have been oversized, have reviewed their practice. They will not produce one million in 2027 then two million in 2030 of electric vehicles if customers are not there.

In summary, manufacturers present in France have invested to mass produce electric vehicles and equip them with batteries manufactured in France, they will have the industrial capacity to produce a million electric vehicles in France in 2027. But everything will depend of the commercial success of these models.