Sweden September 2019

Model 3 Superstar - Swedish edition

The local plug-in market was up 52% YoY, to 3.518 registrations, with September scoring a 14% share for plugins (6,5% for BEVs), keeping the 2019 PEV share at 11%. 

Looking at last month Best Sellers, the Tesla Model 3 had its best month since its landing month, back in March (1.005 units then), with 716 deliveries, while Kia kept two models in the top spots, with the Niro PHEV and the Optima PHEV keeping Top 5 positions.

But the most surprising performance was the #5 Tesla Model S scoring 197 deliveries, so it seems the specs update have made it popular again in Sweden. Will we see it here more often?  

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Tesla Model 3	716
2	Mit. Outlander PHEV	283
3	Kia Niro PHEV	259
4	Kia Optima PHEV	250
5	Tesla Model S	197

On the YTD ranking, there is not much to talk about on the top positions, the Tesla Model 3 came closer to the leader Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and with only 113 units separating them, the 2019 title is now pretty much open. Who will win it? Please make your bets.

The most important table change was the Tesla Model S reaching #10, surpassing the BMW i3, while another Luxury EV is also rising, with the Audi e-Tron now reaching #15, thanks to a personal record of 87 registrations.

Still, it wasn't enough to be the Best Selling Luxury SUV last month, as the Tesla Model X pulled out its best result in 3 years, by delivering 89 units, allowing it to rejoin the Top 20, in #19, so we might still have an interesting race between these two, by year end.

Other movements on the table were the forever young VW e-Golf jumping two positions, to #16, thanks to 132 registrations, a new year best(!), while the BMW 225xe A. Tourer returned to the Top 20, thanks to 70 deliveries, the nameplate best result in the last 22 months. It seems MPVs aren't dead just yet... 

Outside the Top 20, we are witnessing a resurgence of PHEVs, with three models hitting significant volumes, the new BMW 330e registered 86 units last month, while the revised VW Passat GTE hit 48 registrations, as it prepares for a strong 2020, and Volvo's new baby, the XC40 PHEV, had 63 registrations in September. Will we have a 5th Volvo in the Top 20 soon?

In the manufacturers ranking, Kia is in the lead, with 24% share (down 2%), with a rising Tesla (18%, up 2%) in 2nd place, while Volvo (14%, down 1%) and Mitsubishi (13%, down 1%), are discussing the last podium seat.

Midsize car best sellers 

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo S/V60	16.154
2	VW Passat	4.668
3	Tesla Model 3	3.490
4	BMW 3-Series	3.189
5	Mercedes C-Class	3.015

In the midsize car class, the Tesla Model 3 is now 3rd, surpassing the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class, while in the remaining competitors, only the Mercedes C-Class does not have a plugin version, and although the uncontested class leader, the Volvo S/V60 twins, do not have a large share of electrification (only 9% of sales come from the PHEV version), the other two electrified models (VW Passat and BMW 3-Series) are now launching their new PHEV versions, so in the future we can expect a large share of their sales coming from the PHEV lineup.

Midsize SUV best sellers 

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo XC60	8.283
2	Mitsubishi Outlander	3.754
3	Mercedes GLC	1.521
4	BMW X3	1.496
5	Audi Q5	1.305

In the midsize car class, the top two models are electrified, but with different degrees (16% for the Volvo, 93% for the Mitsubishi), while the remaining Top 5 is still purely ICE. 

But things are expected to improve significantly in the next couple of months, as both the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC will have PHEV versions soon, while the BMW X3 is said to also have a PHEV some time after, so while lagging behind, this category might improve dramatically its electrication effort in a few months.

Full size car best sellers 

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo S/V90	10.007
2	Mercedes E-Class	3.614
3	BMW 5-Series	3.215
4	Audi A6	2.932
5	Tesla Model S	948

In the full size car class, the all-electric Tesla Model S is stable in 5th, and despite the recente uptick in sales, it is unable to reach the sales pace of the Top 4.

Within them, while the BMW 5-Series still has a (sort of) relevant share of electrified units (18% of sales come from the PHEV version), the leader Volvo S/V90 has a small PHEV share to show, with just 6%, which is a shame really, because if it had some 36% PHEV share, it would make it the leader of the PEV market... 

Anyways, that is still better than the Audi A6 or Mercedes E-Class, that basically rely only in ICE units to stay on top.

Full size SUV best sellers 

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo XC90	1.782
2	BMW X5	558
3	Audi e-Tron	481
4	Tesla Model X	410
5	Audi Q8	355

This is the most polluting class in the passenger vehicle market, so it is a good thing then that it is also the most electrified of the lot, with two BEV models in the Top 5, the #3 Audi e-Tron and #4 Tesla Model X, while the leader Volvo XC90 has the highest share of electrification among its Volvo peers, with a (relatively speaking) big 24% share of the PHEV version.

True, the remaining two models rely solely in unplugged units, but that is about to change, with the introduction of the new BMW X5 PHEV, that with its long electric range, will surely find many buyers and become a largely electrified model.