Netherlands December 2017

Tesla Model 3: the 2019 Best Seller in the Netherlands?

Tesla does a 1-2 win in a reboot year

December had 1.067 registrations, down 90% regarding the same period last year, this drop is due to the historic PHEV sales rush of late last year, if we look only at BEVs, sales were up 51% YoY, helping BEVs to double the sales of 2016,  with the end of PHEV incentives, all electric cars were back at the spotlight this year in Holland, outselling PHEVs for the first time since 2011...And with a staggering 87% share of sales, being the bulk of the current 2.2% PEV market share. 

In fact, we could be talking of a complete reboot of the market regarding previous years, because if 2015 marked the peak of PHEVs, with 90% of the PEV market (And 81% in 2016), in 2017 the 87% share of BEVs meant a 180º change in the direction of the Dutch PEV market. 

But back at December, Tesla did a 1-2 win, with last month being the best month ever for the brand in Dutch lands, with 699 deliveries, divided by 400 for the Model S (Best month of the last four(!) years), and 199 for the Model X.

Looking elsewhere, positive month for the Renault Zoe, delivering 131 units (Best result since June), while the Hyundai Ioniq BEV and the BMW i3 completed the Top 5.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Tesla Model S	400
2	Tesla Model X	199
3	Renault Zoe	131
4	Hyundai Ioniq Electric	72
5	BMW i3	68

Looking at the full year ranking, the differences regarding last year are striking: While last year, the Best Selling BEV was only #5 (Tesla Model S), with 11 of the Top 12 places belongging to PHEVs, in 2017 there's a complete reshuffle, with the Top 8 places going to BEVs, while the Best Selling PHEV was only #9.

As such, the 2017 medals went all to BEVs, the last time it had happened it was 2011 and the winner was the Nissan Leaf, with 298 deliveries, Silver went to the Smart Fortwo ED (267), while the last place of the podium went to the Peugeot iOn, with 82 registrations...We've come a looong way, haven't we?

So Tesla did a 1-2 win in 2017, with the Model S winning the Crown and the Model X the runner-up place, while the VW e-Golf managed to win Bronze.

The Opel Ampera-e won the 2017 Rookie of the Year award, and let's wish the Opel hatchback a good 2018, as it was proven that there is demand for it, in the few markets where it is present.

On the PHEV side, the newbie Volvo XC60 PHEV was the Best Seller in December, with 15 units, but the 2017 Best Selling PHEV award went to another Volvo, the XC90 PHEV.

In the manufacturers ranking, Tesla easily won the race  (37%, up 3%), earning its first manufacturers title in Duth lands while in Second Place we a surprise, with the two times (2015 & '16) Volkswagen  ending in Second (12%, down 1%), while BMW was Third, just ahead of Hyundai.

In the LCV category, sales were up 104%, to 507 units, and like in the passenger car category, 2017 was a disruptive year, with the chronical leader Nissan e-NV200 (Triple winner, in 2014, '15 and '16) being beaten by the StreetScooter Work by 229 units to 161, this "Tesla of Vans" is present in only two markets (Germany and Netherlands), but is now leader in both...Others will follow in 2018?

Pl	Netherlands	Dec.	YTD	%	'16Pl
1 2	Tesla Model S Tesla Model X	400 199	2.077 1.239	23 14	5 15
3	Volkswagen e-Golf	54	949	10	19
4	Hyundai Ioniq Electric	72	923	10	23
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15	BMW i3 Renault Zoe Nissan Leaf Opel Ampera-e Volvo XC90 PHEV Porsche Panamera PHV Mercedes GLC350e Mitsu. Outlander PHEV  Smart Forfour ED BMW 530e  Mini Countryman PHEV	68 131 7 38 6 7 3 7 8 5	879 781 513 228 143 130 115 85 82 80 76	9 9 6 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1	14 17 13 N/A 3 33 31 7 N/A N/A N/A
15 17 18 18 20 21 22	Volkswagen e-Up! Kia Soul EV  T. Prius Plug-In (Gen I&II) Porsche Cayenne PHEV Mercedes B250e Nissan e-NV200 / Evalia Volkswagen Passat GTE	4 1 5 1	76 75 66 62 57 48 46	1 1 1 1 1 1 1	24 27 22 25 20 16 1
23 24	BMW 330e Smart Fortwo ED	10 6	40 39	0 0	2 38
25 26	Volvo XC60 PHEV BMW 225xe Act Tourer	15 3	38 35	0 0	N/A 11
26	Mercedes E350e	1	35	0	10
28	Volvo S/V90 PHEV	2	31	0	N/A
28	Audi Q7 e-Tron	2	31	0	6
30	Mercedes C350e  Others	1 20	30 169	0 2	4
	TOTAL	1.067	9.191	100

       

Source: RAI Vereniging

Regular Hybrids + Plug-ins Ranking

Pl	Model	Dec. Sales
1	Tesla Model S	400
2	Toyota Yaris Hybrid	366
3	Toyota C-HR Hybrid	207
4	Tesla Model X	199
5	Kia Niro HEV	166

If we add regular hybrids to plug-ins, the Tesla Model S was the leader in December, with 400 units, Model X sibling also making the ranking, in Fourth.

Interestingly, the Toyota hybrids, once sinonym with this category, have only two representatives, with the third HEV model being the successful Kia Niro.

Are the Toyota hybrids losing momentum?

Tesla Model S & Others

Pl	Model	2017 Sales
1	BMW 5-Series	3.243
2	Volvo S/V90	3.195
3	Tesla Model S	2.077
4	Mercedes E-Class	1.888
5	Audi A6	978

Looking at the 2017 sales data, the Tesla Model S ended the year in Third, only behind the BMW 5-Series and the Volvo S/V90 twins, but outselling class classics, like the Merc E-Class or the Audi A6.

Tesla Model X & Others

Pl	Model	2017 Sales
1	Tesla Model X	1.239
2	Volvo XC90	639
3	BMW X5	462
4	Jaguar F-Pace	443
5	Range Rover Sport	238

Big SUV's had a big hit with the end of PHEV incentives, to the benefit of the Tesla Model X, which now has the big advantage of being the only model eligible to plug-in incentives, with the American Sports SUV doubling sales of the Second Placed Volvo XC90.

Interestingly, 22% of all XC90 registrations belonged to the PHEV version, and with a new (And much improved) Porsche Cayenne PHEV coming soon, expect it to be the majority of Cayenne's sold here, maybe helping the Cayenne nameplate to win a podium seat in 2018.

Expect the Model X to remain unchallenged well into 2018, when the Jaguar i-Pace and Audi e-Tron SUV's arrive, only then we will see some real competition for the American Sports/SUV/Minivan.