French ethanol use jumps 15% in 2025, driven by gasoline demand
French consumption of ethanol in gasoline rose 15% to 19 MM hectolitres in 2025 as gasoline car registrations climbed, and the trend is expected to continue, producers group Bioethanol France said on Tuesday.
Of the global volume consumed in France last year, 60% was produced locally, made from sugar beet, wheat, maize and crop residues, the group said at a news conference. The remaining volume largely came from other parts of the European Union, they said.
Ethanol consumption's rise was higher than the 5.6% increase in total gasoline consumption in France last year, as consumers turned to the cheaper crop-made fuel.
France registered 1.63 MM passenger cars in 2025, with gasoline and hybrids accounting for 74%, up from 41% in 2015, highlighting a major shift away from diesel, which fell to 6% from 58%, data from Bioethanol France showed.
"When we look at the vehicle fleet, demand is set to continue," Bioethanol France Secretary General Sylvain Demoures told reporters.
Consumption of the cheaper superethanol E85, which requires a flex-fuel car or a conversion kit, slightly dropped over the past two years to 8.6 MM hectolitres in 2025 after continuous growth since its launch in 2006.
"There was a jump in 2022 due to concerns caused by the surge in fuel prices," Demoures said. "In 2025, fuel was cheaper so the issue of cost savings was less easy to get across."
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which includes a large import quota for ethanol to be phased in over five years after the deal is implemented, was a concern for French producers as a further rise in demand would be needed to absorb it.
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