Sales of Renault SA’s all-electric Zoe car jumped 38% in the first half, a rare bright spot amid the grim fallout of the coronavirus pandemic Most of the deliveries were made in Europe, where the Zoe became the best-selling electric car thanks in part to generous government incentives, the French automaker said Monday in a statement.
Renault’s overall sales in the period fell by more than a third, to about 1.26 million vehicles, because of lockdown measures in countries from Italy to Russia. That’s still better than cross-town rival PSA Group, whose sales dropped 46% to 1.03 million vehicles.
“We are starting the second half of the year with a very high level of orders, a satisfactory level of inventory, a rising price positioning across the entire range,” said Denis le Vot, the company’s head of sales and marketing.
Rough Start
Renault’s sales plunged in the first half of the year
Source: Company statements
Renault was a big beneficiary of subsidies that France — its biggest market — implemented last month to get consumers to switch to cleaner cars. In Europe, customers ordered about 11,000 Zoes in June alone, bolstering Renault’s bid to meet more stringent emissions rules this year.
Renault, like its peers, has been hit hard by Covid-19, which shuttered showrooms and factories around the world. The company has announced a sweeping cost-savings plan, and the French government’s aid is aimed at saving jobs in the industry.