France November 2018

BEVs step up 

The French PEV passenger car market registered 4,988 registrations in November (+71% YoY), with all-electric models jumping (+119%), thanks to the highest growth rate in over 2 years, while plug-in hybrids recovered from the post-NEDC hangover (+11%).

This recent pick up pulled the 2018 PEV share to a record 2%, with BEVs alone having 1.4% share (+0.1%), while PHEVs remained stable, at 0.6%.

Looking at November Best Sellers, the Renault Zoe recent registrations uptick (+144%!), with 1,895 units in November (#20 in the mainstream market) was the main reason for BEVs to shine, but it wasn't the only one, as the #2 Nissan Leaf tripled sales to 420 deliveries, while the BMW i3 had its best performance in 8 months, thanks to 229 units. 

But the real events were the #4 Peugeot iOn (258 units) and the #6 Citroen C-Zero (224) performances, that thanks to the Free2Move car-sharing deliveries, allowed both nameplates to break their personal records, an impressive feat, considering both models landed 608 8 years ago...

Interestingly, after Madrid and Lisbon, Paris is the third city to use large numbers of the tiny EVs in car-sharing fleets, which highlights the future importance of small, cheap, EVs in car-sharing fleets, once these kinds of companies become commonplace.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Renault Zoe	1895
2	Nissan Leaf	420
3	Mitsu. Outlander PHEV	320
4	Peugeot iOn	258
5	BMW i3	229

In a market known for its stability, this time there were a number of changes, with BEVs on the rise, not only the #8 Peugeot iOn and #12 Citroen C-Zero jumped positions, but the Tesla Model S also climbed 2 positions to #13, surpassing the Porsche Panamera PHEV and becoming the Best Selling Luxury car.

Another model shining is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, that climbed one position to #17, thanks to 112 units, its best result since March.

On the PHEV side, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV took full profit from the restyling, climbing to #6, thanks to 320 units, the nameplate best result since 2014.  

Outside the Top 20, the Land Rover Range Rover PHEV had 210 registrations, a surprisingly high number for the British Land Yacht, allowing it to reach #7 in November and opening up the possibility to join the 2018 Top 20 in the last month of the year.

In the brands ranking, Renault (36%) continues in the leading position, followed at a distance by the #2 Nissan and the #3 BMW, both with 11% share. 

Netherlands November 2018

Boatloads of i-Pace are being delivered here 

Jaguar i-Pace steps up the pace

November had 3,499 plugin registrations, up 221% YoY and the market best month since December '16, which translates in a PEV Share of 10%, and pulls the year to date count to 20,516 units (+153%), with the 2018 PEV share now growing to 4.8%, with BEVs representing 87% of registrations.

This good market performance was the result of several good individual results, starting with the Best Seller of the Month, the Nissan Leaf, that registered 657 units, its second consecutive record month. Interestingly, the Nissan Evalia EV (38 units) also had its best result in 4 years, which means both of Nissan EVs are expanding sales.

The Jaguar i-Pace reached the Second Spot, with 607 units, antecipating an historic December, where deliveries should cross well into the thousands…Jaguar dealerships will probably have to work on overtime during December, in order to avoid a delivery-hell.

This time the Tesla Model S won the Bronze medal, thanks to 428 deliveries, its best off-peak result ever, so we can expect another 1,000-plus performance in December.

Interestingly, the 308 Tesla Model X deliveries also represented that nameplate best off-peak performance here, so we can expect at least some 800-1,000 deliveries in December for the Sports-Minivan-SUV, which would make Tesla cross the 2,000 deliveries in one month. Well, it should also be a nice rehearsal for the upcoming Model 3 delivery tsunami...

Of course, the higher taxation of expensive BEVs next year might have something to do with this sales surge, but something tells me (ahem, Tesla Model 3...) this explosive growth is set to continue through 2019.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Nissan Leaf	657
2	Jaguar i-Pace	607
3	Tesla Model S	428
4	VW e-Golf	359
5	Tesla Model X	308

Looking at the 2018 ranking, while the Top 8 positions remained the same, the Jaguar i-Pace keeps jumping positions, with the British SUV reaching #8 in November, as it tries to end the 2018 ranking in the podium. 

Just outside the Top 10, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rose two positions to #11, thanks to 209 registrations, the nameplate best result in 23 months. With the Japanese SUV only 52 units behind the current Best Selling PHEV, the #10 Volvo XC60 PHEV, with 455 units, it seems the Mitsubishi model will recover the trophy it has won for the last time in 2015.  

The Hyundai Kona EV had 167 deliveries, its best performance so far, as it tries to join the Top 10 and make a  100% BEV Top 10.

Outside the Top 20, a mention to the Land Rover PHEVs, with the  brand delivering 69 plugin hybrid Range Rovers, a new record for the maker.

In the manufacturers ranking, Tesla (31%, down 2%) is the undisputed leader, with Nissan (15%, up 1%) in Second Place, while the race for the Third Spot is hot, with #3 Volkswagen (11%, up 1%) on the podium, but with BMW and Hyundai dangerously close, both with 10%.

Source: RAI Vereniging

Ireland November 2018

 

King Leaf in hot market

The Irish PEV market is known by its love for the Nissan Leaf, with the BEV model having won six times (2011/12/14/15/16/17) the Best Seller trophy, and with 1 in 2 plug-ins in Ireland being a Leaf, one could even say that the Nissan Hatchback is an honorary Irish citizen.

With the arrival of the new Generation, the trend has continued, with the Japanese hatchback now owning 40% of this year PEV market.

This is currently a hot market, with sales up 107% YoY, and the PEV share up to a record 1.6%, with November alone hitting 5%(!) market share, a new all-time high, even if the base was small, as in all, only 644 units were sold in the Irish automotive market last month.

But it isn't only the Leaf benefitting from the favorable winds, the BMW 530e is the new Second Placed, becoming at the same time the Best Selling PHEV, thanks to 149 deliveries in 2018, up four fold regarding the previous year.

Below the podium, a few worthy mentions, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is now #14, benefitting from the new revised version, while the Volvo S/V90 PHEV twins joined the ranking, in #20.

Looking at the manufacturers ranking, Nissan is frankly ahead of the competition, with 40% share, while BMW (17%) is Second, while Kia (8%) and Hyundai (7%) are running for #3.

Sweden November 2018

12% Share in a record month! 

We start November with good news in Sweden, with the local plug-in market up 30% YoY, to a record 3.038 registrations, with the yearly tally growing 46% to 25.979 units, and the 2018 PEV Share at a record 8%, thanks to the 12% share of last month. 

Meanwhile, the mainstream market still hasn't recovered from the pre-WLTP surge, dropping 21% last month.

Add this to the fact that BEV registrations are jumping through the roof, with deliveries jumping 361% YoY, to 1.203 units, while PHEVs accentuated their drop (-12%) in November, and we have another sign of seismic changes currently happening.

Right now buyers are running away from fossil-fueled vehicles (PHEVs included) and going in a stampede-like movement into fully electric ones, but because BEVs are currently production constrained, it seems people prefer to wait in line for a BEV, than to buy/lease another ICE-based vehicle.

This starts to become a trend, because it also happens in Iceland and Norway, whenever a market is regularly at over 10%, the mainstream market starts to suffer and decline, as people move away from regular petrol/diesel vehicles.

Speaking of Diesel, the demise of this fuel continues, with only 34% share of sales last month, a full 9% drop from 12 months ago, when it had 43%. At this pace, diesel sales should be dead by 2022...

Looking at last month Best Sellers, with the end of the line of the VW Passat GTE (84 units, worst result in 34 months), the major beneficiary is the Kia Optima PHEV, that hit a record 415 units last month, winning the month Best Seller award.

But the real surprise came in Second Place, with the Nissan Leaf making its best month of its 7 year career in Sweden, by delivering 388 units, while the #3 Volvo XC60 PHEV also performed a record result, with 320 deliveries.

Another telling tale of the changing environment, is that because their PHEV deliveries are falling off a cliff, Volkswagen was forced to promote the supposedly Norway-only e-Golf, with the German hatchback hitting a record 225 deliveries.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Kia Optima PHEV	415
2	Nissan Leaf	388
3	Volvo XC60 PHEV	320
4	Mit. Outlander PHEV	316
5	VW e-Golf	225

Looking at the 2018 ranking, a few important changes happened, the main news were the Nissan Leaf switching places with the Volvo V60 PHEV, with the Japanese hatchback jumping to #6, while the Swedish Wagon was down to #8. A side effect of this change was the fact that the BEV Best Seller trophy changed hands, with the Nissan Leaf stealing it from its #7 Renault Zoe cousin.

Another significant change benefitted the VW e-Golf, with the VW model jumping four positions to #14, surpassing its PHEV cousin, the #16 Golf GTE.

Hyundai had a great month, with the Ioniq Electric scoring 78 units, its best result since March, while its PHEV sibling just joined the Top 20, at #19.

A final mention to the Kia Niro EV, or e-Niro, that landed with 84 units, a good start that could indicate a successful career for the Korean Crossover in 2019. Hyundai-Kia is rising...

In the manufacturers ranking, Volkswagen (19%, down 1%) lost the leadership to Kia (20%, up 1%) a first for the Korean, while Volvo (16%, down 1%) is sliding down, due to the heavy reliance on short range PHEVs.