Markets Roundup April 2014

BMW i3 preparing to be delivered in an orderly fashion 

BMW i3 - A Success Story?

I had big reservations on the success of the little BMW i3, i thought it was overpriced (42.000$ for a Supermini!), and above all, too un-BMW for people to relate to it.

But sales are brisk, with a regular presence in the World EV Top 10, leading BMW to increase production to meet demand, and the Little Electric Car with Hot Hatch Genes isn't yet selling in the two major EV markets (USA and Japan).

It is #1 in four countries (Germany, Portugal, Czech Republic and Poland), but it also has other meritable positions elsewhere (Presumed #2 in the UK, #2 in Spain, Belgium and Austria, #3 in Switzerland and Italy), and i've been told that it's happening a curious fact: People that never thought in buying a regular BMW are now going  to the separate "i" dealerships to know more about it, so this might be a great move from the german automaker,  catching a new demographic outside it's traditional (*Cough* Tossers *Cough*) one.


 







Trends in the G7 
Besides the slow return of the French market, growing for the third consecutive time (1.257 units), we register the Outlander PHEV return to form in the Netherlands, winning for the first time this year the leadership in the global market and leading the local EV Share to rise to 4,22%, in Norway,the market is Back to Earth 2020, before the arrival of the e-Golf and new jump to uncharted territory (20% EV Share?).

The German Spaceship is gaining momentum (0,33% vs 0,23% EV share last year), with the Outlander PHEV threatening the homeboys to give them a run for its money. 

China is another giant slowly waking up (0,12% vs 0,08% in '13), with monthly sales going above the 2.000 units, propelled by the ever-improving BYD Qin.


UK: The 8th G?

Last year the UK plug-in market sold 3.730 units, approximately half of the German sales, the 7th largest market in '13, but thanks to a rapid rise in registrations (The EV share is now at 0,26%, vs 0,16% last year), the British EV market (2.264 units in four months) is closing in on the smaller G7's (France and Germany) and separating itself form the rest of the pack (Sweden is the #9 largest market, with 1.285 units), so one wonders:

Will the UK join the Major League? Let's hope so, for now the 2014 data regarding it scarce, with only global sales and the Nissan Leaf numbers available, but these are enough to say that the Sunderland-built car is responsible for half the sales here (1.038 units) and it's going for a new yearly record, maybe doubling last year numbers (1.812 in '13).   

Other Markets

Canada got a new sales record, with 394 units sold, just like Austria (171 registrations), Sweden (467) and Slovenia, with 7 units sold in April, five of them were Tesla Model S(!)...

But the prize for Landing with a Bang goes for the Outlander PHEV in New Zealand, selling 41 units in its first month, which is almost as much as all the plug-ins that had ever been sold there! (44, for the record)


Questions for May

1 - Where will be beaten the next sales records?

2 - Who will be #1 in Norway? And in Germany?

3 - Will the Outlander PHEV reach again the global #1 in Netherlands?

4 - Will the Qin reach the 1.000 registrations?

5 - Will Tesla make a comeback and reach #1's?

6 - How many #1's will the Outlander PHEV collect?