France August 2020

Koreans shine in Slow Selling Month

With the overall automotive market back in the Dog House (-20% in August), plugin sales continue immune to the surrounding doom and gloom, with PHEVs (up 269%, to 5,266 units) faring better than BEVs, up only 167%, to 5,590 registrations, allowing plugin hybrids to have 49% of the plugin market last month, above this year average (35%), and quite possibly the highest share ever by plugin hybrids, in this traditionally BEV-friendly market. 

Nevertheless, looking at this year French market fuels split, there are are already some disruptive market share changes, with petrol down 9% in share regarding the same period last year, to 50%, diesel is also down, albeit a more moderate 3%, to 31%, to the profit of all electrified categories, starting with HEVs, up 4%, from the 5% of last year, to the current 9%, passing by PHEVs that now have 3.3% of the market (reaching 5.1% last month), and ending with the 6% of BEVs (5.4% in August), allowing the 2020 PEV share to be at a record 9.3% (10.5% last month), which is a whole different level from the 2.8% of 2019. 

Expect the numbers to improve slightly in the remainder of the year, with the 2020 tally possibly even reaching 10%, which would not only be a great achievement, but also the prelude for the #Disruption '21 - French Edition

Looking at last month Best Sellers, the top 2 were the usual local heroes, but below them, we have last month Best Selling Foreigner, the Kia Niro EV, that despite August being the slowest selling month in France, managed to score a record month(!), with 620 deliveries, allowing the Korean crossover to reach its first first monthly medal in France. 

The remaining positions went for the Peugeot 3008 PHEV, #4 with 583 registrations, while the 5th position went for the Hyundai Kona EV, that thanks to the increased availability coming from the Czech production, allowed Hyundai-Kia to place two models in the French Top 5.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Renault Zoe	1,618
2	Peugeot 208 EV	697
3	Kia Niro EV	620
4	Peugeot 3008 PHEV	583
5	Hyundai Kona EV	520

Looking at the 2020 ranking, while the top 2 remain unattainable, the last position in the podium can still change hands, while the 3rd placed Peugeot 3008 PHEV has finally distanced itself, in the PHEV category, from its DS 7 PHEV arch-rival, the #4 Tesla Model 3 can still steal the Bronze medal from the French crossover, with 369 units separating both models, and the Californian expecting to have a high tide next month, we could see it overcome the difference and surpass the high-riding Pug. 

Outside the podium, a mention for the Koreans Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV, as the Hyundai model is now just 6 units beind the #5 DS 7 PHEV, so it should surpass the French SUV next month, while the Kia also has a shot at surpassing the DS plugin hybrid in September, especially if it continues to score record performances

On the second half of the table we have the only position changes of the month, with the Mercedes GLC300e climbing to #12, switching positions with the now retired Citroen C-Zero dinosaur, while the rising star Volvo XC40 PHEV climbed another position, now staying at #14.

A surprise appearance on the table is the VW Golf GTE, that joined the table at #20, displacing the BMW i3. This is still the Golf VII body, not the new Golf VIII, which means this end-of-career peak could only be possible by fire-sale prices, something we knew Volkswagen had been doing in the past few months with the e-Golf BEV, but apparently that was also the case with Golf GTE, at least in France. 

But this should be a temporary presence, in fact, there are two other models less than 100 units behind the VW hatchback, as the #21 BMW i3 is just 17 units behind, while its British cousin, the Mini Cooper EV, is #22, with 1,025 units, and the Mini hot hatch is on the rise, having scored a record 244 units performance in August.  

Speaking of future new entries to the Top 20, we should mention the #23 Opel Corsa EV, that scored 157 registrations in August, and the #24 Mercedes A250e, that is less than 200 units from the Top 20 and had 260 deliveries last month, highlighting Mercedes good moment, not only the GLC300e is on the rise, but the A250e has also good perspectives to reach the Top 20 soon, not mentioning the strong landings in August of the CLA250e (118 deliveries) and the B250e (81). Amazingly, Mercedes is currently the Best Selling German brand in the French plugin market...

Speaking of which...In the brands ranking, the leader is, as always, Renault (25%), with Peugeot (21%) firm in the 2nd spot, while a sliding DS (5%, down 1%) is in the 3rd spot, just ahead of Tesla (also 5%).