Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Netherlands December 2016

VW Passat GTE: December's Best Selling Model in Dutch lands

The Flood

Over 11.000 plug-ins were sold last month (Some 30% of all cars registered in December), representing almost the same number of units sold in the previous 11 months, and becoming the Second Best Selling month ever, only behind a similar flood occurred at the same time last year. Blame it on receding incentives and fleet managers looking for fiscal benefits for company cars...

Anyway, better late than never and it's always better to have a PHEV running in hybrid mode than another stinky diesel, right?

This last minute surge pulled the YTD numbers to 23.114 units and the Market Share to 6%, only below the 9.6% of 2015.

Looking at December Top 5 ranking, the Monthly Best Seller award went for the third time in a row to the fleet-favorite VW Passat GTE, with 2.707 units, a new personal best for the German Midsizer, followed by a classic in Dutch lands (Over 26.000 registered since 2013!), the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, with 1.065 registrations (It had only 313 units sold until November...) and the BMW 330e, with 1.033 units (New record).

In Fourth Place we have a surprise, with the Audi Q7 e-Tron pulling a record 947 units. 


Pl
Model
Sales  
1
Volkswagen Passat GTE
2.707
2
Mit. Outlander PHEV
1.065
3
BMW 330e
1.033
4
Audi Q7 e-Tron
947
4
Mercedes C350e
892

In the YTD ranking, the high numbers of December transformed the Best Sellers table, with the VW Passat GTE jumping for the First Position, with 3.987 units, followed by the BMW 330e (2.418) and Volvo XC90 T8 (2.230), as a curiosity, the oldest model in the podium, the XC90, is just 16 months old, which says a lot of the changing dynamics.

Several fleet favorites have climbed in the ranking, like the Mercedes C350e (892 units, year best) climbing to #4, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV jumping five positions to #7, while the just arrived Mercedes E350e surged to #10, thanks to 723 units, becoming the Best Selling model of the E-Segment. Something for Tesla to consider in the coming year...

In fact, Mercedes has to thank this last minute surge of the E350e for winning the class Best Seller title, with 2.266 units, if it weren't the 931 units of its plug-in version, the big Merc would be behind the Tesla Model S (1.723 units), with the Third Placed BMW 5-Series (1.489 units) in need of  its upcoming 530e version to be back on the race.

This necessity for plug-in versions to achieve success in the Netherlands is replicated in other high-end segments, in the F-Segment/Full size class, the Best Selling model was the BMW 7 Series, but if we break down models by fuel source, the BMW 740e would be Third with 160 units, and this despite having arrived just in August.

This trend is also visible in the Luxury SUV class, where the Best Selling model was the Volvo XC90 T8, while in the D-Segment/Midsize class, the VW Passat GTE was the second best selling model, only behind the regular ICE Passat.

The Best Selling BEV was once again the Tesla Model S, something that has been happening since 2013, in 2016 it was #5 with 1.723 units, slightly behind the 1.891 units of  2015, but adding the 426 units of the Model X, Tesla continued to grow in 2016.

The Best Selling MPV was the BMW 225xe Act. Tourer, #11 with 863 units, succeeding the Ford C-Max Energi, while in the Small Car class another BMW took the trophy, with the #14 BMW i3 winning for the third consecutive time this trophy, with only 505 units, its worst performance since 2013.

The Rookie of the Year was the Audi Q7 e-Tron, #6 with 1.594 units, easily winning this category.

Looking at the manufacturers ranking, there was a complete reshuffle due to the December Flood, Volkswagen jumped from Third to the leadership (23%, up 7%), winning its second consecutive Manufacturers title, displacing the previous leader BMW (18%, down 3%) to Second Place and Volvo (14%, down 2%) to Third. Just outside the podium were Mercedes (13%) and Audi (10%), while Tesla fell to Sixth, with 9% share.

Finally, in the BEV/PHEV breakdown, pure electrics managed to recover ground, growing from 10% in 2015 to 19% this year. 

Pl
Netherlands
Dec.
YTD
%
'15Pl
1
2
Volkswagen Passat GTE
BMW 330e
2.707
1.033
3.987
2.418
17
10
6
25
3
Volvo XC90 T8
764
2.230
10
7
4
Mercedes C350e
892
1.871
8
5
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tesla Model S
Audi Q7 e-Tron
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Volkswagen Golf GTE
Volvo V60 Plug-In
Mercedes E350e
BMW 225xe Active Tourer
Audi A3 e-Tron
251
947
1.065
712
618
723
303
510
1.723
1.594
1.378
1.079
1.016
931
863
718
7
7
6
5
4
4
4
3
8
N/A
1
2
3
N/A
17
4
13
Nissan Leaf
75
666
3
13
14
15
16
17
18
BMW i3 *
Tesla Model X
Nissan e-NV200 / Evalia**
Renault Zoe
BMW 740e
118
130
21
13
68
505
426
238
183
160
2
2
1
1
1
12
N/A
15
14
N/A
19
Volkswagen e-Golf  
2
137
1
28
20
Mercedes B250e 
2
117
1
19
21
22
23
24
Kia Optima PHEV
Porsche Cayenne Plug-In
Hyundai Ioniq Electric
Volkswagen e-Up!
61
12
43
12
110
106
102
80
0
0
0
0
N/A
10
N/A
28
25
Toyota Prius Plug-In
5
78
0
22
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35

BMW X5 40e
Kia Soul EV
Renault Kangoo ZE
BMW i8
Mercedes GLE500e
Mercedes GLC350e
Renault Twizy
Porsche Panamera Plug-In
Peugeot iOn
Mercedes S500e
Others
12
8
1
5
1
10
2


1
7
70
60
50
48
44
38
18
17
16
11
26
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
11
24
25
20
27
N/A
28
21
N/A
18

TOTAL
11.132
23.114
100
                   

* - 113 Bev + 8 Rex
* - 11 LCV + 10 Pass

Source: RAI Vereniging; Autoweek.nl


Models breakdown by Fuel Source



PlModelSales  
1Volkswagen Passat GTE2.707
2Renault Clio1.150
3Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV1.065
4BMW 330e1.033
5
6
7
8
9
10
Audi Q7
Mercedes C350e
Opel Astra
Renault Mégane
Toyota Aygo

Toyota Yaris
947
892
860
796
792
782


With some 30% share in December, plug-ins performance in the general ranking was more relevant than ever, so this month it was interesting to do the same exercise we do in Norway and breakdown the Best Selling models by fuel source.

Splitting models by fuel source, the VW Passat GTE was by far the best selling model in the Netherlands, with 2.707 units, followed by the Renault Clio, with 1.150 units, with four(!) PHEV's following the French hatchback, making it five plug-ins in the Top 6 positions, something that not even Norway can match.

In the remaining four positions we have three regular ICE models, while in Tenth we have the Toyota Yaris, where the majority of the sales were of the Hybrid variety (441 units out of 782), making it the Best Selling HEV in December.

6 comments:

  1. I dont see this market as an EV-Market. I guess its time to make a seperate ranking for BEVs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BEV's are signaled in blue. Also, with the changes in the Dutch fiscal system, PHEV's are now considered "normal cars", i believe 2017 will see a more balanced rate between BEV's and PHEV's.

      Delete
    2. Why not? They are selling 30% EVs. Both battery electric EVs and plugin hybrid EVs. Not so many fuel cell EVs so far though.

      2 PHEVs driving 50% on electricity saves as much fuel as one BEV. So just close your eyes and imagine 15% BEVs in the Netherlands in December instead to calm you down.

      Delete
  2. Jose, this source reports a slightly different figures for December 2016: https://www.autobahn.eu/2765/plugin-hybrides-beleefden-hun-laatste-verkooppiek-in-nederland/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will double check my sources, thanks for the tip!

      Delete
  3. Marco KemperJanuary 21, 2017

    Where is the Toyota Prius plug inn?...

    ReplyDelete