France recorded a sharp rise in ethanol use in gasoline in 2025, with consumption increasing by 15%, significantly higher than the overall gasoline demand growth of 5.6%, according to producers’ group Bioethanol France, Devdiscourse reported.
The increase was linked to higher registrations of gasoline-powered vehicles. During the year, 1.63 million passenger cars were registered in France, with gasoline and hybrid models accounting for 74% of the total, highlighting a continued shift away from diesel vehicles.
Ethanol has remained attractive to consumers due to its lower cost. Around 60% of the ethanol used in the country is produced domestically from sugar beet, wheat, maize, and agricultural residues.
Despite the strong growth, the outlook for France’s ethanol industry faces uncertainty from the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which permits large import quotas for ethanol. As domestic demand rises, industry participants are concerned about how increased imports could affect local production.
Meanwhile, consumption of the lower-priced superethanol E85 has seen a slight decline in recent months.
