The used car market - France

A vehicle is considered pre-owned if it has been in use for more than 6 months (from the date of first registration) and has been driven more than 6,000 km. on a global scale, the used vehicle market is very dynamic, with a compound annual growth rate of close to 7%, with a notable pull from the United States, where growth is close to 8%. In France, the demand base remains robust: used vehicle sales are still 2 to 3 times higher than new vehicle sales, confirming the central role of second-hand vehicles in household mobility. After an expansion phase between 2012 and 2019 (around +7% of used vehicle registrations), the market peaked in 2021 under the post-Covid effect, with almost four times as many used vehicle registrations as new ones. Normalization then set in: by 2023, registrations were down by around 13%, against a backdrop of purchasing power pressures, soaring prices and an aging fleet. Despite this downturn, the ratio of used cars to new cars remains at around 3, reflecting a structural preference for second-hand vehicles. Thearrival of digital technology has profoundly reinvented the purchasing process: a large proportion of buyers now prepare their decision online, while an ecosystem combining physical players and pure players has taken hold. In France, Aramisauto has become a benchmark (with an industrial partnership with PSA/Stellantis since 2015) thanks to an integrated model: buy-back, reconditioning and resale with services, which meets expectations in terms of trust and simplicity.

Specific to used cars, the market covers resale between private individuals (C2C) and via professionals. Perceived risks (mechanical condition, origin, traceability) are prompting a growing proportion of buyers to turn to organized networks offering guarantees and support. Finally, while the trend is towards electrification, electric vehicles are still concentrated on the new market.on the second-hand side, the boom is real but gradual, conditioned by theavailability of sufficientstocks, control over battery costs and clarity of TCO.