Wednesday, December 31, 2014

World Top 10 November 2014

Kandies (Condies?) galore, now with certified data.


Models - PiP is Weakening

Some 26.000 plug-ins were sold last month, which represents a 10% increase over the same month last year, when the Outlander PHEV was flooding the streets of Holland, currently the YTD sales have surpassed the 275k barrier, so it's safe to say that this year we will be closing the year with the 300k barrier broken. 

The podium places are attributed a long time ago, with the Fourth Place now firmly in Chevy hands, with the soon-to-be-deceased 1st Gen Volt distancing itself from the wrinkled #5 Prius Plug-In, which made its worst sales performance ever (893 units).

Next we have the BMW i3 in #6, followed ever more closely by the ever-improving  #7 BYD Qin (1.753 units, zillionth eleventh consecutive record).

The Ford Fusion Energi is on the verge of being surpassed by the #9 Kandi, while the Renault Zoe (1.290 units) continues to impress in this Second Coming, posting its third straight month in the four-digits area, a first for the french hatch. 

A deserved mention should be noted to the BAIC E-Series, having sold 1.040 units last month, enabling it to win a Top 10 position (#9) in the November ranking, this looks to be another model to follow closely next year.

Finally, a curious fact, the Mitsubishi Minicab Miev Truck (Long name for a short car) reached 750 registrations since it started in 2012, which is halfway to be the Best Selling Electric Pick-Up Truck, a title still in the hands of Ford, thanks to its 1.500 Ford Ranger EV, made from 1998 to 2002, so at least until 2016, the Best Seller pick-up truck title belongs to a vehicle sold in a time when Britney Spears was dressing schoolgirl uniforms, Social Networks consisted on emails and Elon Musk still drove gas-powered cars... 

PlWORLDNov.  YTD%'13Pl
1Nissan Leaf4.874  54.969201
2Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV2.215 29.628115
3Tesla Model S2.193 25.73194
4
5
6
Chevrolet Volt (1)
Toyota Prius Plug-In
BMW i3
1.438
893
1.531 
19.774
18.106
14.295
7
7
5
2
3
20
7BYD Qin1.753 12.928540
8Ford Fusion Energi762 10.91449
9Kandi EV1.500 10.1324N/A
10Renault Zoe1.290 8.76236

TOTAL 26.202 277.173


Manufacturers -  Duels Time!

If the Podium positions are a dead certainty, the race for #4, between Ford and Chevrolet, and #7, between BMW and BYD, will maintain the interest on this ranking until the last month of the year, as both races are separated by less than 100 units.

My guess is that Ford should keep the #4 place, but BMW will have to push hard sales if it wants to maintain the Seventh Spot.


PlWORLDNov.YTD%'13Pl
1Nissan5.00555.621201
2Mitsubishi2.48033.414123
3Tesla2.19325.73195
4Ford1.60520.89487
5
6
7
Chevrolet
Toyota
BMW 
1.499
976
1.838
20.828
19.408
15.484
8
7
6
2
4
13
8BYD1.98515.410611
9Renault1.78514.83656
10Kandi1.50010.1324N/A





(1) - Includes Holden Volt, Opel and Vauxhall Ampera;




Questions for December

1 - Will Tesla or Kandi fulfill their promises and present record-busting sales? 

2 - Will the BYD Qin continue to post record results?

3 - Can Chevrolet reach the #4 Ford?...

4 - ...And can BYD reach BMW?

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Europe November 2014

Quote hear in the media regarding the i8: "AT LAST A COOL PLUG-IN CAR!"

Zoe Reaches the Podium Edition

With more 9.000 than units sold last month, the European EV market was some 10% below the same month last year, but remember that at the time sales were inflated by the Dutch year end rush to dealerships, if we only take in account this year, this is the third best result of the year, after September (10.212 units) and March (9.690).

Looking at the monthly models ranking, the only real surprise is the return to form by Tesla, placing the Model S in #4, with 593 units, but the biggest surprise is the #7 of the VW Golf GTE, with 365 sales, mostly due to the Dutch market, that seems to have found a new darling on this model.

PlModelSales  
1
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
1.703
2Nissan Leaf1.644
3Renault Zoe1.288
4Tesla Model S593
5BMW i3575

On the YTD ranking, the Renault Zoe climbed yet another place in the ranking and reached the last place of the podium, while behind it the Model S and the i3 will fight in the last month of the year for #4, right now only 122 units separate them.

On the second half of the ranking, there are three newcomers making themselves noted, thanks to the previously referred 365 units sold last month, the Golf GTE jumped to #22 and it's promising to be VW's Best-Seller next year, last month it already outsold it's BEV brother, the e-Golf (336 units) and it was only one units behind the smaller e-Up!

The other two models deserving a special mention are the Top 30 appearances of the Merc B-Class ED (#29) and the Cayenne Plug-In (#28), this last one seems to be cannibalizing sales of its Panamera brother, as the sedan suddenly started to be a slow seller (25 units last month), while the SUV sold 68 units and it's still in landing mode...



Final mention to the UK sales update that allowed the Ampera and e-NV200 to rise a couple of positions on the ranking, which says a lot on the current importance of the British EV markets.

PlEuropeNov.2014%'13Pl
1Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV1.70319.204223
2Nissan Leaf1.64413.972161
3Renault Zoe1.2888.688102
4BMW i35758.102912
5Tesla Model S5937.98097
6Volkswagen e-Up!3665.073611
7Volvo V60 Plug-In3504.73454
8Renault Kangoo ZE 3433.58545
9Volkswagen e-Golf3362.4553N/A
10Smart Fortwo ED1762.28439
11Renault Twizy1262.135210
12Bolloré Bluecar621.070116
13
14
Opel Ampera
Toyota Prius Plug-In
43
47
879
860
1
1
8
15
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
BMW i8
Nissan e-NV200
Porsche Panamera Plug-In
Mitsubishi I-Miev
Citröen C-Zero
Peugeot iOn
Audi A3 e-Tron
VW Golf GTE
Goupil
Kia Soul EV
Peugeot Partner EV
Ford Focus Electric
Citröen Berlingo EV
Porsche Cayenne Plug-In
Mercedes B-Class ED
Renault Fluence ZE
163
131
25
14
8
31
250
365
73
133
16
0
12
68
63
2
744
659
612
602
596
550
515
478
411
352
267
203
156
110
107
100
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
N/A
N/A
21
14
12
18
N/A
N/A
17
N/A
22
24
N/A
N/A
N/A
19

TOTAL9.03887.800





Monday, December 29, 2014

Belgium November 2014

The Renault Zoe is looking to end the year in #7

Cannibals

154 EV's were sold last month in Belgium, a slightly above average month, pushing the EV Share up 0.01% to 0,42%.

Looking at the monthly models ranking, the BMW i3 recovered the Best Seller Trophy, with 36 units, but the real news came below the podium, with the BMW i8 reaching #4 in November and improving its personal best by selling 14 units (Will we see it on the podium next month?), tied with the Bimmer we had the Audi A3 e-Tron, performing satisfying numbers, unlike its VW counterpart, the e-Golf, with only 2 sales...Is the Audi cannibalizing sales of its less premium cousin?

Speaking of Cannibals, it looks that the Cayenne Plug-In (12 units) is already eating sales of its Panamera brother, as it took it only two months to sell more than its more planted to the ground relative (Only 7 Panamera Plug-In were sold last month).

On the YTD chart, the #8 Renault Zoe is closing in on its smaller brother Twizy, with only four units separating them, while in #9 we now have a trio, with two VW's (e-Up! and e-Golf) and the Smart Fortwo ED. The Opel Ampera continues to slide on the chart, losing two spots and ending in #16...Last year it was #8.

Looking at the manufacturers ranking, Tesla (21% Share) has the red carpet ready to roll off and grab the Best Selling Brand Title, but it still has to keep an eye on BMW (19%), as both its models are selling above expectations. In Third place we have Porsche with 13% share, its best performance anywhere in the World...


PlBelgiumNov.YTD%'13Pl
1Tesla Model S24391212
2BMW i3 *36302177
3Porsche Panamera Plug-In72191212
4Nissan Leaf1216893
5Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV16150819
6Volvo V60 Plug-In413071
7Renault Twizy 610054
8Renault Zoe119655
9Volkswagen e-Up!041214
9Volkswagen e-Golf2412N/A
9Smart Fortwo ED44126
12BYD e6
362N/A
13BMW i814352N/A
14
15
16
17
18
18
18
18
18
20
20
20
20
20
Audi A3 e-Tron
Porsche Cayenne Plug-In
Opel Ampera
Peugeot iOn
Kia Soul EV
Mitsubishi I-Miev
Nissan e-NV200
Fisker Karma
Porsche 918
Citröen C-Zero
Toyota Prius Plug-In
McLaren P1
Renault Fluence ZE
Mia Electric
14
12

2
1









23
16
12
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
N/A
N/A
8
14
N/A
10
N/A
9
N/A
N/A
14
N/A
11
13

TOTAL1541.822100

Source: febiac.be



* - 17 Bev + 19 Rex

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

New Cars for 2015

Here are some plug-ins that will make headlines in 2015:

BYD Tang: Plug-in SUV in China. Mission: To sell in the thousands per month...

The 2nd Gen Chevrolet Volt will be probably the most important launch of the year, volume wise


A rather Teutonic approach to plug-in cars, the Passat GTE intends to appeal to middle managers across Europe 

Tesla Model X: It was already in the 2014 Edition of this article...Will this time be for real?


Volvo XC90 T8: A Viking warship that is also eco-friendly...


Besides these, there are promises of a number of PHEV versions of regular cars, almost entirely of German origin, like the Merc C-Class, BMW X5 and 3-Series, Audi Q7 and A6, Volvo S60 and even Fiat-Chrysler is preparing a PHEV Minivan!

Finally, a question to our readers: Do you consider Fuel Cell Vehicles (Toyota Mirai, etc) as EV's?

ps - Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Switzerland November 2014 (Updated)

Duel for Number Three

New Addition Edition

A good month for the Swiss EV Market, with 191 sales, with the EV Share rising to 0,76%, thanks to the addition of the Outlander PHEV, which for me was a bit like the "Elephant in the Room", because i imagined that it would sell well in the alpine Switzerland, and effectively it does sell like hot cakes, so much so that it steals the leadership from the Tesla Model S! 

Tesla will probably recapture the Top Spot with the AWD Model S (And Future Model X), but until then, Mitsubishi is the Top Dog.

Next Moby Dick to be captured? VW Golf GTE, it should be a sales hit in the power-hungry Switzerland.

The Renault Zoe impressed last month, selling 41 units, its Personal Best this year and dangerously closing in on the #3 BMW i3 in the YTD chart, with only 8 units separating both, anything can happen in the last month on the year. 

In the rest of the ranking, the Nissan Leaf made another good month, selling 16 units, the Opel Ampera had a stock clearance month, selling (probably) their last 11 units available, while the BMW i8 continues to impress, setting another personal record by selling 12 units, securing it another #6 position in the Monthly Ranking and rising one position to #9 in the YTD ranking.



PlSwitzerlandNov.2014%'13Pl
1
2
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV e)
Tesla Model S
40
33
400
390
20
20
N/A
2
3BMW i319333176
4Renault Zoe41325171
5Renault Twizy 1014673
6Nissan Leaf169754
7Mitsubishi I-Miev57545
8Opel Ampera116337
9BMW i812442N/A
10Chevrolet Volt
3627
11Porsche 9184131N/A
12McLaren P11121N/A
13Fisker Karma11119
14
15
Citröen C-Zero
Peugeot iOn
1

8
7
0
0
10
11

TOTAL1911.960100

Source: auto-suisse.ch; http://www.aboutfleet.ch/news.php?id=691

Monday, December 15, 2014

Germany November 2014

Charging Up

Young Stars Edition

The German EV market is always heavy on surprises, and this month proves that again: After a surprise win last August, right in its first sales month, the Audi A3 e-Tron followed it with two unremarkable performances, selling only 28 units, but in November sales blasted through the roof again and reached 157 units, securing it another monthly Best Seller trophy.

The #2 Renault Zoe also had a good result (146 units), while in Third arrived the Smart Fortwo ED, with 133 units. 

In #5 we get another surprising visitor, with the Merc B-Class ED sales finally starting to gain speed, selling 63 units.


PlModel
Sales  
1Audi A3 e-Tron157
2Renault Zoe146
3Smart Fortwo ED133
4BMW i3126
5Mercedes B-Class ED63

Looking at the YTD ranking, the first positions had one relevant change with the of the Renault Zoe to #4, but it's below the #9 that changes appear...

The Audi A3 e-Tron jumps two positions to #10 (And #2 in the PHEV market), while its VW counterpart, the Golf GTE, jumps three positions to #13, the Merc B-Class ED rises to #17 and finally the Porsche Cayenne PHEV is also up to #19. 

All these new stars promise to shake up the market in 2015, especially the A3 e-Tron, as it is already fighting with the current Top Dogs.


PlGermanyNov.YTD'14%'13 Pl
1BMW i3 *1262.128185
2Smart Fortwo ED1331.419121
3Volkswagen e-Up! e)591.293119
4Renault Zoe1461.06592
5Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV519848N/A
6Nissan Leaf3878473
7Tesla Model S5764968
8Renault Twizy e)2055554
9Volkswagen e-Golf e)505515N/A

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
31

Audi A3 e-Tron
Volvo V60 Plug-In
BMW i8
Volkswagen Golf GTE e)
Porsche Panamera Plug-In
Toyota Prius Plug-In
Mitsubishi I-Miev
Mercedes B-Class ED
Opel Ampera
Porsche Cayenne Plug-In
Mercedes S500 Plug-In
Renault Kangoo ZE
Peugeot iOn
Porsche 918 
Citröen C-Zero
Nissan e-NV200
Ford Focus Electric
Volvo C30 Electric
Kia Soul EV
Chevrolet Volt
Volkswagen XL1 e)
Renault Fluence ZE
Citröen Berlingo EV
157
14
62
62
18
10
8
63
11
40
18

1

1
8


1

1
2

412
367
361
167
140
130
114
107
101
78
61
33
30
28
28
28
19
17
13
11
6
3
1

4
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

N/A
11
N/A
N/A
16
N/A
10
N/A
6
N/A
N/A
N/A
13
N/A
7
N/A
14
N/A
N/A
15
N/A
12
N/A
TOTAL1.15711.683100

* - 57 Bev + 69 Rex


Source: kba.de

e) Estimate