{"id":148160,"date":"2025-06-08T09:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T09:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/automakers-deceive-to-preserve-their-image-according-to-teknomers\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T10:00:00","slug":"automakers-deceive-to-preserve-their-image-according-to-teknomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/automakers-deceive-to-preserve-their-image-according-to-teknomers\/","title":{"rendered":"Automakers deceive to preserve their image, according to Teknomers."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Recent figures from the French automobile market reveal a troubling trend in vehicle registrations for May 2025, particularly for electric vehicles. A deeper look is essential to fully understand the implications of these statistics.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

The French automotive market is witnessing a \u00a0downturn\u00a0. In May, \u00a0all indicators\u00a0 for vehicle registrations turned red, and electric cars were no exception. There’s no point in blaming the numerous public holidays in May; the comparison is made to the previous year, which faced similar circumstances. Are certain manufacturers experiencing an even \u00a0more alarming reality\u00a0?<\/p>\n\n

Behind some seemingly positive results can be hidden manipulations by manufacturers: the overarching practice known as ”\u00a0tactical registration\u00a0.” This involves artificially inflating sales figures by registering vehicles that are not actually sold to end customers, but rather, to \u00a0dealerships\u00a0 or \u00a0rental companies\u00a0. Sadly, this has significant consequences.<\/p>\n\n

Large Stocks of Citro\u00ebn Electric Vehicles at Rental Companies<\/h2>\n\n

We shouldn’t deceive ourselves: all manufacturers resort to such tactics, albeit to various extents. Stellantis, in particular, is known for engaging in this practice more than others. Often, these manipulations go unnoticed, but in some instances, the figures are so \u00a0implausible\u00a0 that they catch one\u2019s attention. This is particularly true in a somewhat dreary May, where even the iconic R5 saw its registrations decline. Yet, the \u00a0Citro\u00ebn \u00eb-C3\u00a0 remains a strong contender, leading the electric chart with 1,500 registered units.<\/p>\n\n

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Citro\u00ebn \u00eb-C3 during model testing \/\/ Source: Raphaelle Baut for Numerama<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

The \u00a0magic recipe\u00a0? Of the 1,037 Citro\u00ebn \u00eb-C3 units registered (69% of the month\u2019s total), a staggering 69% are attributed to rental companies, with only 174 registrations genuinely aimed at private customers. The rental firms appear to be gearing up for the peak summer travel season, having made significant bulk purchases across various models, including the \u00a0Renault Clio\u00a0, \u00a0MG3\u00a0, and \u00a0Citro\u00ebn C3\u00a0. This effectively \u00a0masks the bleak\u00a0 situation.<\/p>\n\n

The same applies to the newly launched \u00a0Citro\u00ebn \u00eb-C3 Aircross\u00a0, which secured the fourth position with 920 registrations, of which an astonishing 86% were directed towards rental companies. It seems they received their allocations even before individual consumers.<\/p>\n\n

The Boomerang Effect<\/h2>\n\n

Rental companies often boost the used car market with nearly \u00a0new\u00a0 models. Typically, these vehicles are retained for only a few weeks or months, rarely exceeding a year, benefiting from direct agreements with manufacturers. While this strategy is generally advantageous for the automotive ecosystem, there is a downside. When a considerable number of rentals hit the market simultaneously, it leads to a surge in available vehicles, which can subsequently lower their \u00a0resale values\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n

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Fiat 500e (RED) \/\/ Source: Fiat<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

When thousands of units of a single model flood the used car market, if demand does not keep pace, the \u00a0vehicle\u2019s value\u00a0 can take a significant hit. This presents a \u00a0risk-laden gamble\u00a0. The Citro\u00ebn \u00eb-C3 might serve as a case study; with high volumes directed toward rental companies and additional units anticipated to return from social leasing arrangements, this model is likely to see significant depreciation in the used car market.<\/p>\n\n

Significant Registrations with Dealerships<\/h2>\n\n

Apart from launching new vehicles, strategic registrations at dealerships can be a \u00a0double-edged sword\u00a0. They often delight buyers looking for discounted \u201czero-mileage\u201d vehicles or demonstration models (with slightly higher mileage). However, if overdone, this could financially harm the dealerships themselves.<\/p>\n\n

While Tesla usually allows competitors to engage in such practices, during May, out of five Model X registrations, three were designated for dealerships. This proves that nothing is set in stone. However, it is critical to note that the \u00a0Chinese competitor BYD\u00a0 made a striking entry into the market with its \u00a0Dolphin Surf\u00a0, landing in 13th place in May with 414 registrations, all allocated to dealerships. Given that sales only began at the end of May, it was clear that these initial \u00a0registrations\u00a0 were not intended for customers.<\/p>\n\n

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BYD Dolphin Surf during model launch \/\/ Source: Raphaelle Baut for Numerama<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

This approach differs from other manufacturers like Abarth, Smart, and Vinfast, who struggle to sell their \u00a0new electric vehicles\u00a0 without resorting to such tactics. It\u2019s a tricky balance, and the consequences of these registration strategies will surely unfold in the coming months.<\/p>\n\n

If you found this editorial insightful, consider subscribing to the \u00a0Watt Else\u00a0 newsletter for more updates and analyses on the automotive landscape.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n
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General News – 2<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recent figures from the French automobile market reveal a troubling trend in vehicle registrations for May 2025, particularly for electric vehicles. A deeper look is essential to fully understand the implications of these statistics. The French automotive market is witnessing a \u00a0downturn\u00a0. In May, \u00a0all indicators\u00a0 for vehicle registrations turned red, and electric cars were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}